The Ghoul and the Witch
by Lunarwolf11021
Summary: Aria Potter wasn't a normal witch by any means. When she first met a ghoul, she could only think his eyes were beautiful rather than fear invoking. So it wasn't any surprise when her destiny laid with the flesh eating beings.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **I just started watching it a little bit ago and I'm on the tenth episode. I haven't touch the manga just yet, but I love Uta! This is a little idea that popped in my head and wouldn't leave my mind. So I've decided to write it out in order to clear my mind. If it's bad, I'm sorry.**

* * *

The first time they met was when Aria was five and on vacation with the Dursely's. They hadn't wanted her to come with them, but the lack of people willing to watch her for the month or two they'd be gone forced her along. So Aria walked behind her 'family' as they chattered about where they wanted to go, the tour guide leading them was speaking in slightly accented English. Instead of paying attention to her relatives and their guide, Aria looked around them curiously. The area they were in was rather beautiful and Aria could see herself living her once she got free of her relatives. It wasn't until their guide mentioned ghouls that Aria began to pay attention. Ghouls were an interesting subject seeing as most of them living in Japan with only a few living in other countries. There would be more if it wasn't for CCG and their attempts to contain the beings, Aria likened it to living with her relatives. She too was forced down and beaten with little to no way out of her situation. She internally shook her head and focused as Vernon asked, "Ghouls? I thought CCG was keeping them contained."

"They've managed to keep most of them in Japan," The guide informed the fat man, "They still wander around Japan,"

"So they're here?" Petunia clutched Dudley's hand closer with a look of fear on her face.

"Our ward rarely has any attacks," The guide was quick to assure Petunia with a warm smile, "You should avoid wards one through four as they're the worst at the moment though the most peaceful ward is the twentieth,"

Aria saw the look in Vernon's eyes as the fat man adsorbed that information and found she didn't like it one bit. She knew exactly what the fat man was planning and wondered if he was actually going to succeed in getting rid of her. If so, Aria found herself feeling fear bubble up in her stomach and clutched her hands together. She hoped that Petunia would stop him before he managed it.

* * *

Not even four hours later, Aria found herself wandering around the rather desolate 4th ward feeling just a little peeved with Vernon. She swallowed slightly upon noticing that it was getting dark and looked around for a place to stay the night. She froze upon hearing a can being kicked in the alley she just passed and turned to find a boy staring at her with dark blue eyes. He had blonde hair and looked rather skinny. In fact, he wore tattered clothing like she did. Aria swallowed slightly and inwardly growled at not being able to understand Japanese as the boy spoke to her. Aria shook her head and said, "I can't understand you."

The boy blinked as he walked closer to her. She stiffened as she heard a soft sniffing sound and saw the boy's eyes changed. She gasped upon seeing the crimson and black while recalling that his eyes were exactly what a ghoul's look like. Instead of screaming and feeling any real fear, Aria found herself walking closer to the boy in order to get a better look at his eyes. She could see his eyes widening, but ignored it as she looked at those rather beautiful looking orbs. She really wished that she had the ability to speak Japanese if only to tell him that his eyes were really cool. The boy made a sound and backed up a little with a wide eyed look on his face. Unable to stop herself, Aria let out a soft laugh making the boy stiffen before he frowned at her. He muttered something in Japanese before turning around and walking away. Pouting slightly, Aria followed after the boy as she wanted to look at his eyes more.

The boy glanced back before disappearing making Aria frown. She looked around for him only to find that he was no where to be seen. With a low groan, Aria returned to her previous task of finding a place to stay for the night.

* * *

Aria had managed to find a good place to stay for the night, but found out it was already occupied. She stared at the woman with wide eyes as the female ghoul held her down with a low chuckle. Unlike with the boy from earlier, Aria felt fear when looking at the woman's eyes. Aria attempted to get free with a panicked whine only for the ghoul to let out a laugh and hold her down harder. Unable to stop herself, Aria closed her eyes and turned her head away from the being that would surly kill her only to feeling something warm splattering across her face as a scream filled the air. Aria opened her eyes and found the ghoul that had been about to kill her backing away while clutching her face and chest. Aria stared at the gaping hole in the woman's head where her left eye should be and the rather deep wound on her. Before she could really understand it, Aria felt something jerk her away from the woman and turned to find the boy from earlier. He glared at the female ghoul as a tail arched out of his back. She made a soft sound as he turned to her and gestured for Aria to get behind him. Shakily moving towards the boy, Aria saw that his tail was holding her by the waist and felt it release her after she'd gotten behind him. The boy turned back to the female ghoul as she shouted at him before using the tail he'd held her with to kill the woman. Aria then watched as the boy moved towards the woman and began ripping pieces off the female ghoul. As soon as he began to eat them, Aria passed out.

* * *

When she woke up, Aria found herself laying on something soft with a something warm laid over her. Opening her eyes, Aria found herself in a rather dirty small and dirty looking room on what looked to be a pile of rags. She heard the door opening and found the boy from before walk in. He looked at her and seemed a little surprised to find her awake. They stared at one another for a few moments before Aria's stomach growled making her flush. The boy muttered something before holding out a bag. She carefully sat up and took the bag from him after a few moments. Upon opening it, Aria recognized that it was one of those burgers she'd seen Vernon eating along with a small bottle of water. She looked up at the boy only to find him gone. Aria frowned slightly before she began to eat. The boy returned after she'd finished and gestured for her to follow him. Getting up, Aria followed after him and soon found herself in a bathroom. He pointed to the shower and made a few sounds. Aria pointed at the shower and asked, "You want me to bathe?"

The boy pointed from the shower to her then back. Understanding what he wanted, Aria walked over to the shower and carefully turned on the water as the boy left the room. She got undressed and noticed that she had a few bruises from the female ghoul. Instead of focusing on that, Aria got into the shower and began to clean herself up while shivering at the cold water.

* * *

It took a few weeks, but Aria managed to get a basic understanding of Japanese while her new friend, Uta, did the same with English. Uta was older than Aria by two years and had been without his parents for the last two. Uta was surprised by her lack of fear towards him even after she'd seen him kill someone. She had merely shrugged and told the boy that it was probably because he'd saved her. Ever since that day, they'd been working together to survive and communicate. Uta had been somewhat surprised by Aria's admission that her uncle had abandoned her before replying that some humans sucked. Aria had laughed and agreed with him before they went out to get food for both of them.

* * *

Aria yawned as she walked into the living room of their new hideout and found Uta sitting at the table with a pencil in his hand. She blinked at him sleepily before asking, "Did you stay up all night?"

"No," Uta glanced at her, "You look pale. Did you have a bad dream?"

Aria nodded while walking over to the cupboards and looking through them, "Yeah, but I can't remember it," She sighed upon only finding some crackers, "We need to get more food."

"I'm still good," He replied as she walked over to him and sat down on the couch, "We can go shopping if you want. I need more supplies,"

Aria yawned softly as she opened up her crackers, "Later," She leaned against him while commenting, "Still can't believe we've been together for almost a year."

Uta let out a soft laugh and nudged her, "Believe it, 'Ria."

"Hush, U," Aria smiled softly and began to eat her small breakfast.

* * *

They were heading to the train-station to get supplies when Aria was grabbed from behind. She let out a yelp and saw Uta turn with wide eyes, "Aria!"

"Come, my dear girl, it's time to return to our relatives," Aria heard an aged voice say as she reached out towards Uta, "They've missed you a lot,"

"Let me go, you basta-" Aria began to shout only to be stopped as a strange feeling surrounded her.

It was like being sucked through a straw without any oxygen, so it wasn't surprising that as soon as it was over, Aria passed out while recalling the horrified look on Uta's face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **I just started watching it a little bit ago and I'm on the tenth episode. I haven't touch the manga just yet, but I love Uta! This is a little idea that popped in my head and wouldn't leave my mind. So I've decided to write it out in order to clear my mind. If it's bad, I'm sorry.**

 **Minor Update to fix when Aria went back to Japan. It's one year instead of two.**

* * *

When Aria woke up, she found herself in the damn cupboard she'd lived in for years before meeting Uta. To say she was pissed off was an understatement, Aria was planning on putting the things she'd seen Uta do into action. Of course, Aria would first need to find the bastard that brought her back here in order to do that. Inwardly shaking her head, Aria focused on the matter at hand. She was back in the cupboard that had been her prison since her parents died, so she was in England meaning any chance of getting back to Japan was slim unless she planned things carefully. First thing first, she needed to not only get out of the cupboard, but also get something to eat. After that, she'd start planning out the steps that would be needed to get back to Japan then the 4th ward and her best friend. With that in mind, Aria being to look at the door and figure out how to open it.

* * *

A year later, Aria found herself once more in Japan in the company of the Dursley family only this time, she didn't stick around them after leaving the airport. Instead of using her hard earned funds for a plane ticket like she'd originally planned, Vernon had gotten a stroke of luck and had a chance to go to Japan to discuss business deals with a few companies. Thanks to that, Aria was able to hold onto the stolen money and would be using it to keep herself fed. Slipping into the crush of people leaving the airport had been easy, she easily overlooked thanks to her small size. As she walked away from the Dursleys, Aria smiled softly and murmured, "I'm managed to make it back, Uta. Soon we'll see each other again and things can go back to normal."

Well, as normal as a human child and a ghoul child could get.

* * *

Upon arriving in the 4th ward, Aria took in a deep breath and relished in the feeling of being back in the closest place she could call home. Looking around, Aria wondered over how she'd find Uta before deciding to wing it. Either she would find Uta or he'd find her, Uta couldn't have forgotten her scent.

* * *

She was proven right as a few hours later saw her stumbling across Uta in the same manner as before. Meeting his startled dark blue eyes, Aria walked towards the older child and said, "I think I prefer your kakugan."

"A-aria?" Uta's eyes were wide and his voice held disbelief.

Smiling warmly at Uta, Aria said, "I'm sorry I've been gone so long, Uta. It's just been difficult finding a way back. Please forgive me."

"Ari," Uta mumbled before wrapping her in a tight hug, "I thought I'd lost you too,"

"No old bastard is going to keep us apart," Aria hug him back while enjoying the warmth he gave off, "I promise you that if it happens again, I will always return no matter how much time has passed,"

"I'll keep you to it," Uta rubbed his cheek against hers, "Not that I'll let something like that happen again,"

"Good to know," Aria let go of him and gestured to her backpack, "Show me where the new hideout is,"

Uta smiled at her and led the way out of the alley.

* * *

Uta looked at the stolen money she'd amassed, "You've gotten really good at stealing."

"Had to," Aria looked around the almost empty abandoned warehouse that was to be their new hideout for a little while, "I did need to eat and get new clothes,"

Uta inclined his head before commenting, "I can get a lot of supplies with this."

"You'll have to share," Aria told the ghoul, "I took up drawing while I was gone,"

Uta blinked before holding out his hand. Reaching into her bag, Aria grabbed her sketchpad and handed it over. Uta opened it immediatly and peered at the drawings he could see. She knew they weren't particularly good, but they were better than the first time Uta tried to teach her to draw. As soon as he finished looking at the sketches, Uta commented, "Nice. Needs work, but it's better than your first few tries."

"Glad they meet your approval," Aria took her sketchpad back, "So, what to do now?"

"You need food and I need to get some new clothes," Uta said while eyeing the money.

Aria smiled slightly and said, "We should exchange it. We will be putting some of it away for a rainy day."

"Alright," Uta helped her shove the money into her bag, "Shall we?"

Aria nodded and grabbed the bag before following him out of the warehouse.

* * *

Uta stared at the blood leaking from Aria's scratched arm and swallowed. While Aria had always smelled good to him, he'd never smelt her bleeding before. If her scent was mouthwatering before, the blood leaking from her arm smelt like a feast just waiting for him to sink his teeth in. Taking a breath through his mouth, Uta began to clean up the scratch while muttering, "Clumsy."

"The rocks were wet and you know it," Aria huffed at him while wincing as he cleaned out the cut, "Why did it have to rain so hard that the ground was still wet today?"

Uta cracked a smile at the complaint earning another huff and continued to clean up his human's cuts. And wasn't that an odd thing to think about, Uta had always been told that humans were nothing more than food and entertainment. He'd believed that until Aria had come into his life and forced him to pay attention to her. At first, Uta had only followed her around in hopes of getting a meal. When Aria walked right into that elder ghoul's territory, Uta had been ready to turn around and walk away. Yet something stopped him and that same something forced him to kill the ghoul that was about to devour Aria, it had confused him. Even back then, Uta had considered her his human though he hadn't acknowledged that until Aria had been kidnapped. The thought made rage burn through him and Uta mentally promised to kill the old bastard responsible for taking her away. Internally shaking his head, Uta returned his attention to the task at hand while saying, "It smells like it's going to rain tonight."

Aria groaned at that and laid her head on the small couch they had managed to drag up here. Aria was silent for a few moments before murmuring, "I'm jealous of your enhanced senses. I'd love to be able to smell things like you."

"It isn't very fun," Uta warned her, "Bad smells are ten times worse,"

Aria shrugged lightly, "It's a price to pay for such good senses."

Uta shook his head and finished cleaning out the cut, "We're lucky that it didn't go deeper or else you might have needed stitches."

"I'd rather avoid those," Aria shuddered lightly at the thought.

Uta rolled his eyes, "Stay still, I need to bandage this."

Uta grabbed the roll of bandages while making note that they would have to restock soon enough. While Aria wasn't very clumsy, she tended to attract trouble which led to her getting hurt. Sometimes, Uta wished Aria was a ghoul if only so she wouldn't be so fragile.

* * *

Aria was laid out on the couch with her sketchpad settled on her stomach when a knock sounded on the door. Aria froze before narrowing her eyes at the thing. The only ones that knew about this hide out were Uta and Aria. This time around, they'd chosen a fairly decent apartment though it lacked electricity or running water which didn't bother either of the duo. Instead of focusing on her thoughts, Aria held her breath while waiting to see if the knocker was gone. When they knocked again, Aria sat up slowly with a grimace and swallowed as she looked around herself. With no other entrances and Uta gone for at least another hour, Aria tore out a piece of her sketchpad and wrote a note for Uta before hiding it where he would be able to find it. Carefully getting up, Aria headed towards the door and opened it to find an old man with bright blue eyes staring down at her alongside a rather greasy looking man. Aria sincerely doubted that even a ghoul at it's hungriest would touch the man with the greasy hair. The old man seemed familiar though Aria couldn't say how and stared down at her with a look that made her stiffen. Whoever this old guy was, the man was a threat. A throat was cleared and the old man spoke in a familiar voice that made her internally growl, "Aria, my dear girl. You've caused quite the stir."

Aria knew that voice as it had haunted her for weeks alongside the sight of Uta's horrified face. She scowled at the old man, "Who the hell are you?"

"I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and this here is Severus Snape," The old man informed her in a kind voice that was so obviously fake that it felt real.

"Why the hell are you here?" Aria glared at the two.

Before the old man could say anything, Aria saw the greasy looking man pull out a stick and point it at her with a growl of, "You'll be coming with us. We shouldn't waste time on this brat, Headmaster."

"Severus," The old man sighed and shook his head in disappointment, "We are here to ensure she goes home to her relatives and gets her Hogwarts letter,"

Before the two could say anything, Aria shouted at them, "I ain't going anywhere with you two! I sure as hell ain't going back to that hellhole."

With that, Aria slammed the door shut and moved away. Seconds later, the door burst open and as Aria turned to throw her knives at the men, Aria found a beam of red light heading towards her. She dodged it only to get hit by a second one and darkness fell over her.

 **End. I hate being sick so much.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **I just started watching it a little bit ago and I'm on the tenth episode. I haven't touch the manga just yet, but I love Uta! This is a little idea that popped in my head and wouldn't leave my mind. So I've decided to write it out in order to clear my mind. If it's bad, I'm sorry.**

* * *

When she woke up again, Aria was thoroughly unamused and inwardly seething. Oh those two bastards were going to pay! Growling softly as she sat up, Aria looked around herself and grimaced at the fact she was back in that damnable cupboard. After spending three almost four years away from this thing, Aria was less than pleased to be back. Frowning, Aria wondered why the hell she kept getting dragged back to this god forsaken place and why that old man wouldn't leave her alone. What did he mention before? A letter? What did he mean by a letter?

* * *

'Magic was real' came rolling through her mind as she followed the huge man, Hagrid, through the rather crowded wizarding market. Diagon Alley reminded her of the busier parts of Tokyo albeit medieval and far less clean. Aria looked at the various things on sale and the people buying them while absentmindedly paying attention to Hagrid talking. When the reach the bank, Aria could only stare blankly at the goblins guarding the entrance. They were uglier than some of the masks she'd seen ghouls using and that was saying something considering how hideous those things were. Inwardly shaking her head, Aria followed Hagrid into the bank while eyeing the poem on the wall. A challenge if she ever saw one, but Aria wouldn't take it if Hagrid was to be believed and her parents left her money. It would seem that she'd have a lot to tell Uta the next time she managed to escape.

* * *

The thought of having to rely on a thin stick to use magic left a bad taste in her mouth. Admittedly, she did like her wand even if the man that gave it to her was a bit creepy. She was amused to learn that her wand had a piece of a bikaku kagune for a core. Hagrid had been more than a little pale when Olivander told him that it was something that came from a ghoul. When Hagrid had suggested taking her 'home', Aria had told him he should finish his job and that she could return to the Dursleys without any assistance. With a shrug, the giant man had left her be. While Aria would head back if only to keep the old man from being suspicious of her, Aria wanted to check out something she'd seen during their trip to the writing supply store. The person at the counter looked at her curiously, "Can I help you, little miss?"

"I saw something earlier and wished to know more about it," Aria smiled up at the woman.

"And what item was that?" The woman asked while smiling softly.

Aria mentally snorted at how easy it was to manipulate adults and thanked Uta for helping her figure that out. She pointed to the display of journals and asked, "Could you tell me what they can do?"

"They're two way journals," The woman explained while coming around the counter to pick one up and show it to her, "They work like two-way mirrors," The woman noticed the confusion on Aria's face and explained, "Two-way mirrors allow people to talk to one another so long as they hold the connected mirror. Of course, the journals only allow for on connection rather than the multiple that the mirrors can have,"

Aria brightened and asked, "Would they work if one was in Japan?"

The woman shook her head, "No, or at least, not these ones. Why do you ask?"

Aria had wilted slightly before brightening, "I have a friend in Japan that I want to keep talking to. Since I'm going to Hogwarts, I can't exactly contact them very easily."

The woman smiled and walked back behind the counter, "If you could wait a few seconds, I can grab a pair of our international journals for you."

"Of course," Aria mentally grinned.

As soon as she got the journals and paid for them, Aria left the store and headed to the mail place she'd seen before. While she now had an owl, Aria wouldn't be using her for this. It wasn't that she didn't trust the owl, but Aria had a feeling that the white feathered beauty wouldn't survive the flight. Thirty minutes later, Aria left the mail place twenty galleons and some change lighter. With that done, Aria started her return to the Dursleys while mentally hoping that Uta would get the package.

* * *

Uta had destroyed the apartment they'd been using as a hideout after finding Aria's note. As a result, Uta had needed to move once more which was a pain in the ass without Aria helping him. A week and a few days after Aria had been kidnapped, Uta got the surprise of a lifetime when an owl swooped in carrying a package. Uta stared at it as the owl stared right back. After taking the package, the owl took off and left Uta to stare at the heavy package. Uta finally opened it after a few hours and found a thick leather bound journal inside. Feeling curious, Uta opened up the journal and found Aria's familiar handwriting:

 _Uta,_

 _Write something._

 _Aria._

Frowning, Uta grabbed one of the nearby pens and wrote down:

 _Eyes are the best part of the body to eat._

Uta's eyes widen as the journal glowed and words written in Aria's handwriting appeared:

 _I should've known that's what you would write. Nice to see you haven't changed, U._

Uta blinked before writing:

 _Aria?_

The glow appeared and Uta found himself smiling as confusion ran through him.

 _Yup! Guess what, magic is real, I'm a witch, and my parents were actually murdered by someone trying to kill a baby._

Uta stared at the words before writing:

 _Explain slowly._

* * *

Aria sat in the car as Vernon drove them to London for some reason that she didn't even bother to pay attention to. Aria in a perpetual state of happiness after finally getting a response from Uta's journal. Over the last few days, Aria had relayed everything she knew about magic while Uta kept her up to date on what was happening in Tokyo. She was somewhat worried as the doves seemed to be cracking down on the 4th ward which meant Uta was in danger. While he was pretty powerful for a young ghoul, Uta would still have trouble with the doves. Aria was snapped out of her thoughts by the car jerking harshly as Petunia screamed. Seconds later, a loud crashing sound echoed through the air and pain seemed to fill her as something warm splattered across her face. The last thing Aria saw before unconsciousness took her was the sight of Petunia being speared through the chest by a large piece of glass.

 **End.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **I just started watching it a little bit ago and I'm on the tenth episode. I haven't touch the manga just yet, but I love Uta! This is a little idea that popped in my head and wouldn't leave my mind. So I've decided to write it out in order to clear my mind. If it's bad, I'm sorry.**

* * *

Waking up in a hospital was a bit of a mind fuck, Aria decided while staring up at the bland ceiling. It was more due to the hospital being active rather than abandoned like the ones back in the 4th ward. Uta and Aria had camped out in them a few times to avoid the doves. Aria closed her eyes and focused on why she was in the hospital. The last thing she remembered was being in the car with the Dursleys. Focusing on that memory, Aria shuddered slightly as she remembered the pain and sight of Petunia being stabbed by a huge piece of glass. She shuddered more due to how Petunia died than the fact she saw it happen. During the first month or so after she had returned, Uta hadn't let her out of his sight, so she gone hunting with him a few times. Aria knew that Petunia wouldn't have died right away from the wound, so the horse faced woman must have been in a agony before death finally came for her. On some level, Aria felt sorry for the bitch. Aria didn't let herself linger on that as knew that the bitch had deserved it for all the pain she'd either caused Aria or helped Vernon cause it. Before Aria could turn her thoughts to something else, the door opened and a nurse walked inside. The nurse paused at the sight of Aria staring at her before exclaiming, "You're awake!"

Somehow, Aria had a feeling she wouldn't be able to think much for a while.

* * *

It wasn't until the nurse left Aria with a plate of food and some water did the eleven year old finally manage to get some peace. Aria's nose burned slightly at the scent of the meatloaf on the plate and ignored it as she focused on the other food. She sniffed with a frown only to find that nothing smelled good to her. Instead of attempting to eat it, Aria pushed the food away and laid back to think. She would need to write in her journal soon as Uta was probably going nuts with worry right about now. Aria kind of wanted to see it, but didn't want to worry him anymore than she already had. After all, she'd apparently been out for at least a week.

* * *

The doctor walked in with a kind smile on her face, "How are you feeling, Aria?"

"Tired," Aria pushed away the tray of food she'd been given.

"Not feeling hungry?" The doctor asked earning a shrug, "Well, I hope you feel hungry too. I suppose I should introduce myself before we get down to it," Aria nodded while taking a sip of her water, "My name is Doctor Amelia Caswell,"

"It's nice to meet you," Aria didn't take the doctor's hand which Dr. Caswell seemed to understand.

Dr. Caswell simply smiled at her before informing her, "You were in a car accident. Only the boy and you managed to survive, he was recently released from this hospital as his injuries were far less severe. As it stands, it was simply luck that we had organs on hand to save you," Aria's frowned at the doctor, "A family recently died and they matched you, so we used their organs to replace the ones that were damaged,"

Aria nodded slightly before asking, "What happens now?"

"Seeing as your cousins Aunt wanted nothing to do with you, you'll be placed in an orphanage until you either get adopted or turn 18," The Doctor seemed apologetic, "As soon as you're fit for release, you'll be allowed to return home to gather your things before heading to the orphanage,"

Aria grimaced slightly before asking, "I'm supposed to go to an exclusive school come September 1st. Will I still be able to do it?"

The doctor seemed surprised before nodding, "Of course, I will admit to being somewhat surprised as you're listed as being home schooled."

Aria shrugged lightly and didn't say anything more. The doctor waited for a few moments before leaving Aria to her own devices.

* * *

When Aria finally managed to contact Uta, she wasn't surprised by his demand to know what happened. It was after she explained everything that Uta asked a question that surprised her:

 _Are you sure everything smells bad?_

Aria blinked before replying:

 _It smells horrible and I can't stomach any of it._

Uta didn't write back for a few hours before suggesting:

 _Try eating a human._

Aria gaped at the page before writing:

 _I can't do that!_

Uta only responded with:

 _Just try it._

Aria shook her head lightly and shut the journal.

* * *

Aria was so hungry and her head hurt so bad. She stumbled down an alley and fell to ground clutching her stomach. She took a deep breath only to catch the scent of something amazing. It reminded her of a turkey dinner that she'd once helped Petunia make. Licking her chapped lips, Aria forced herself to get up and followed the scent. Upon reaching it, Aria recoiled at the sight of the dead body of a woman. She wore some racy clothing that would have had Petunia ranting and raving. Aria saw that the woman, a prostitute most likely, had been killed by someone strangling her with a chain. Aria also noticed the woman's fingers bleeding and swallowed as the need to eat filled her. The vision in Aria's left eye fluctuated for a few seconds before returning to normal. Aria swallowed down the saliva that filled her mouth as she moved towards the woman and bent down. Uta's suggestion filled her mind and Aria resisted the idea for a few seconds before deciding to try it. Aria was happy that the woman was at least dead since that meant if she could really eat her, she wouldn't be causing any pain.

Lifting one of the woman's wounded hands, Aria licked the blood on the nearest one and let out a soft sound at the taste. It tasted like those chocolate covered cherries she managed to get a few times. Unable to stop herself, Aria bit down and felt blood rush into her mouth along with something that tasted like beef.

* * *

When Aria had finished, the woman's hands and upper arms were gone. Aria felt slightly sick knowing that she'd actually eaten human flesh. Slowly standing up, Aria looked at herself and grimaced upon seeing that the front of her shirt was red. Inwardly groaning, Aria would have to come up with a good explanation about why she had something red on her shirt. She would need to tell Uta that his idea worked as well. Aria began to leave before pausing as she recalled that she'd be going to Hogwarts soon. How the hell was she going to survive Hogwarts if she needed a source of flesh? She sincerely doubted they wouldn't care about students going missing whenever she got hungry.

* * *

Due to the fact dinner was in an hour, Aria had decided to wait on contacting Uta for now. Since she missed dinner last night, Aria doubted they would allow her to skip it again and settled in for a rather horrible trip to the bathroom later. It came as a surprise when they served dinner that it actually smelt good for once and tasted like actual food rather than the horrible crap she'd tasted before. After eating, Aria headed to her room and waited to see if she would feel sick. Aria only felt pleasantly full and content. Frowning slightly, Aria grabbed her journal and wrote about what had happened with the woman. Uta was quick to respond:

 _I guess you're a one-eyed ghoul now. While I've heard some stories, everyone thinks they're a myth._

Aria wondered if her left eye had changed into a kakugan because that would explain why her vision had fluctuated. Instead of focusing on that, Aria wrote:

 _Can they eat human food as well?_

Uta didn't reply for a few minutes before saying:

 _Not to my knowledge. Can you?_

Aria nodded while writing:

 _Yeah. I don't feel sick or anything. In fact, the food actually smelled and tasted like it used to._

Uta wrote back:

 _I suppose that means we have research to do. Do you have a plan for Hogwarts?_

With that question, they began to plan for what she would do at Hogwarts. Rather than immediatly making an attempt to return to Japan, Aria would go to Hogwarts for the first year. During that year, she would gain as much knowledge as possible. When school let out, Aria would be making a choice as to whether or not she'd return next year. Regardless, Aria would be going back to Japan during the summer.

 **Okay that's it. One quick question though:**

 **Should I have Uta's writing in the journal as:**

 _I love making masks_

 **or**

 ** _Mask making is fun._**

 **Please give me your reply in the reviews! I'm looking to make it easier to** **differentiate.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **I just started watching it a little bit ago and I'm on the tenth episode. I haven't touch the manga just yet, but I love Uta! This is a little idea that popped in my head and wouldn't leave my mind. So I've decided to write it out in order to clear my mind. If it's bad, I'm sorry.**

* * *

If there was one thing Aria wasn't looking forward to, it was dealing with other children. Aria would admit that due to her upbringing, she was far more mature than most children her age save for ghoul children. In the beginning, the other children in the orphanage had avoided her because she had 'weird eyes' and the reason she arrived. Some of the more mean spirited children actually accused her of being a demon that brought people misfortune. Aria's isolation was furthered by the fact she couldn't bring herself to act like a regular child. The adults manning the orphanage were simultaneously relieved and concerned by how she acted. Most put it off as the car accident changing her, Aria just shrugged it off and went on with her life.

* * *

Finding the platform she needed to get onto was a bit difficult until Aria realized that magicals smelt diffrent from regular humans, it turns out that their magic added a certain something to their scents to make them simultaneously nasty and divine. When she got onto the platform, Aria could only shake her head and inwardly groan at the large amount of people. While she had eaten a week ago, the scent of magicals seemed to make it feel like she hadn't eaten in weeks. Maybe that's why Uta ended up eating a lot during the first few months of being around her, he probably had to get used to her scent. Hopefully, she would be able to get used to the scent of magicals soon or she'd be up shits creek.

With that in mind, Aria quickly made her way onto the train and made her way near the back. As soon as she found an empty compartment, Aria settled down and laid her head back while closing her eyes. She took a deep breath through her nose and began to filter out scents like Uta had suggested. The first thing she noted was the heavy scent of ozone clinging to air and charging it. If she had to guess, the ozone scent would be magic which was highly likely. Underneath that heavy scent, Aria could smell the scent of oak and furniture polish. Along with that, she could smell the lingering scent of ink that someone had likely split at some point in time during a past trip. Before she could try to detect anymore scents, a knock sounded on the door and Aria opened her eyes as a bushy haired girl walked in, "Is it alright if I sit here?"

Aria was tempted to say no as the girls scent was particularly mouthwatering, but decided that she should probably at least attempt to make connections in the magical communities. If only to make leaving them easier, Aria inclined her head and waved a hand to the seat across from her, "Go ahead."

The bushy haired girl beamed and put her things away before looking back at Aria, "Thank you so mu-"

As if for the first time noticing Aria's rather unique eyes, the girl froze and Aria snickered softly before breaking the girl out of her trance, "Staring is rude, you know."

The girl shook her head rapidly and blushed, "S-sorry. It's just your eyes..."

"Unique, no?" Aria smiled lightly at her, "You aren't the first to think that nor will you be the last,"

"How are they...?" The girl trailed off while looking at them.

Aria's eyes had always been particularly eye catching due to their unique emerald green iris'. After the accident and subsequent surgery, Aria's eyes had changed color. They still had emerald green in them, but had gained swirls of purple and crimson. If Aria had to guess, they were both remnants of the ghouls that Aria's replacement organs had come from. Regardless, Aria liked the change and had a feeling Uta would too since he'd always loved her eyes. Well, Uta would love them once he got over the fact her original eye color was gone. Inwardly laughing, Aria told the girl, "I had a serious accident that required some replacement organs. I have a theory that my magic was involved and the colors are remnants of the people the organs came from."

"What kind of accident?" The girl looked somewhat sick at the morbid thought.

Aria hummed lightly as she reached into the messenger bag she'd purchased a week ago during a return trip to the magical market, "A car accident. My cousin and I were the only ones to survive. He got adopted by his biological aunt and I got shoved into an orphanage."

"That's horrible!" The girl squeaked with wide eyes.

Aria shrugged as she pulled out her sketchpad and a pencil, "My relatives didn't like me anyway and Vernon's sister always hated me. She hated me even more after her favorite bulldog got run over while chasing after me. Damn thing would have bitten my leg off if I hadn't run," Aria shook her head while ignoring the way the girl simultaneously turned green and pale, "I don't even think it died for a little while regardless of it's innards being spilled onto the ground and most of it's bones being broken," Aria glanced up at the girl and commented, "You're looking a bit green. Perhaps you should go to the bathro-"

With amusement, Aria watched the girl shakily jump up, grab her things, and leave the compartment. Let out a soft laugh, Aria stood up and closed the door while plopping back down in her spot. Aria had to do that again as the girl's reaction was funny.

* * *

About ten minutes after the train left the station, a ginger haired boy with watery blue eyes walked into the her compartment, "Can I sit here?"

"Sure," Aria watched him flop ungracefully onto the seat and held back a grimace at the scent coming off of him, "We left the train station ten minutes ago, so why are you looking for a compartment?"

Did the boy even know how to bathe himself? Aria carefully covered her nose with a hand while looking at the boy over her sketchpad. The boy informed her, "I was looking for my best-friend, but couldn't find her."

"And who is your best-friend?" She didn't blame the girl for avoiding the boy as he smelled particularly rancid.

"Aria Potter," The boy answered making Aria freeze.

"Aria Potter?" Aria's eyes narrowed at the boy, "The Girl-Who-Lived?"

"Yup!" He grinned revealing crooked teeth, "She's going to be my wife,"

Aria's eye twitched at the thought of this idiot even thinking about making her his wife. She wouldn't be caught dead with him. If there was someone she'd marry, it would be Uta. Snorting softly, Aria shook her head, "Haven't seen her."

The boy opened his mouth before pausing as he took in her eyes. Much like the bushy haired girl, he couldn't take his eyes off of them. Inwardly grinning, Aria couldn't wait to see how fast she could make the idiotic boy leave her compartment.

* * *

Aria hadn't even gotten through having her organs replaced before the boy left in a hurry. She was slightly disappointed, but pushed it out of her mind. A grimace appeared on her face as soon as she noticed the rat. She'd seen the animal in the boy's pocket, but hadn't paid it much mind. She knew it was probably the boy's pet, but honestly couldn't see the point. Grabbing a pair of gloves from inside her bag, Aria walked over and lifted the rat up by it's tail. She walked over to the owl cage where Setsuko was sitting and held it up to her. Setsuko took one look at it before turning her head away from it. Shrugging, Aria opened the window and tossed the rat out without a single thought. While it might be considered animal cruelty, Aria really didn't like rats seeing as she'd been bitten by them quite a few times. Besides, the boy should be thanking her for getting rid of that thing. Maybe he would be able to get a proper pet now?

Taking off her gloves, Aria put them away before returning to her seat once more. Not even five minutes after that, a pompous looking teen entered her compartment with a scowl on his face. Aria put her sketchpad down and asked, "Can I help you?"

He didn't smell bad, but he reminded her of the boy from earlier, "Are you the one that's been making other students sick?"

"I'm only answering their questions. I will admit the boy only got to ask about my eyes," Aria informed him, "They asked and I gave them the answer,"

The teen looked at her eyes and had the same reaction as the other two, "H-how are they...?"

"I was in a serious car accident which resulted in me requiring to have a few of my organs transplanted," She could see his eyes widening as he grew a bit pale and sickly, "My magic seems to have taken some remnants of those the organs used to belong to and my eyes were a result of that,"

"R-ronald does have a rather weak stomach," The teen admitted in a slightly shaky voice, "You didn't know, but please refrain from answering questions like that,"

"Not my fault people can't handle gore," Aria turned back to her sketchpad where she was working on a half finished drawing of Setsuko, "If that is all, I would like to get back to my drawing,"

The teen was about to leave before pausing as if remembering something, "My brother has a pet rat and can't seem to find it."

Aria glanced up at the boy with a confused look on her face while inwardly gagging, "I haven't seen it though why would someone have a rat for their pet. Rats are gross and rather vicious," She noted the surprised look on his face, "I've been bitten by rats quite a few times and rather dislike them. If you do manage to find it, I would suggest that you tell 'Ronald' to keep it away from me. If he doesn't, I probably won't hesitate in killing it."

The teen nodded and quickly left while looking a bit disturbed. From what she knew, the magicals, in this country at least, weren't very exposed to acts of violence save for what had been caused by spells. Even then, a majority probably didn't have that experience. It would be diffrent if they were more aware of ghouls, but a vast majority only seemed to know them as myths. To be honest, Aria was only going to Hogwarts for a few reasons. 1. She didn't know much about other magical schools. 2. Getting citizen ship as a minor was a bitch and a half without a guardian. 3. It would allow her to watch Dumbledore and Snape. Aria would need them to relax their guards if she ever wanted to truly escape this place much less kill them.

It was one of the things she and Uta had discussed thoroughly before making the decision to stay. Aria would be making plans and thoroughly abusing her apparent political power to ensure that when she did escape, no one would be able to find her unless she allowed them. Aria looked down and smiled upon finding her journal glowing and opened it to find Uta asking, ' _ **Everything alright?'**_

 _'Yes, I managed to find the platform. Did you know that magicals smell diffrent from normal humans?'_ Aria asked him.

 ** _'Of course, I have with you for around 4 years. I have also started to notice areas in Tokyo where magicals seem to gather,"_** Uta wrote seeming to be excited, **_"I plan on seeing what happens when I eat them,'_**

 _'Don't go looking for trouble,'_ Aria warned him with a fond roll of her eyes as Uta loved causing trouble, ' _At the very least, can you wait until the summer? At least with me, you'll have backup,'_

Uta didn't write back for a few minutes before finally writing, **_'Fine. Tell me what happened after you got on the platform."_**

* * *

By the time the train had reached Hogwarts, Aria and Uta had added onto their plans. Both of them agreed that getting reactions out of the naive wizards would be hilarious, Uta asking for her to find a way to record such instances as he wanted to see them as well. She promised while making note to check the library for such spells. When they separated from the older students and began walking on uneven ground, Aria was one of the few students that didn't risk losing their balance. As it was, Aria had to help keep a few of her fellow students stable lest they break some bones or bleed from cuts as Aria wasn't too sure she'd be able to keep herself from attempting to take a bite out of them.

The boat portion of the trip was rather interesting and Aria would admit that Hogwarts was rather beautiful from her position even if it's name sucked. The sight made her fingers itch to grab her sketchpad and attempt to draw it. She would definitely have to find a way to take pictures of this place as Uta would love to see it. It definitely had the Gothic feel that the ghoul loved. The walk from the boats to the door reminded her of the one to the boats. As it stood, Aria was really starting to doubt the intelligence of the magicals in charge of this school.

The teacher that greeted them was stern and gave off an air that made you want to behave. To be honest, Aria was reminded of that one really old female alley cat she used to know. She had lived near one of the apartments they'd managed to secure as a base and that old cat seemed to have the others under her control. Whenever they went near her, the old feline seemed to be glaring at them and daring them to misbehave while near her. Now that Aria thought about that old cat, she began to wonder if the cat had some magical breed of feline in her. Shaking thoughts thoughts out of her mind, Aria focused on the teacher.

Four houses with the teacher, Minerva McGonagall, being head of Gryffindor. Aria hadn't really care about the houses as she was only here to learn as much magic as possible and make connections that she could use when getting ready to leave. When the teacher left and she heard screams, Aria only stared at the spectral beings for a few moments before turning her attention to the doors. While ghosts being real was interesting, they weren't really awe inspiring. If they had been the ghosts of ghouls, Aria would be far more interested as they would probably have a lot of information she could use. When McGonagall had finally returned, Aria was pleased as she was starting to get hungry.

As soon as she saw the night sky, Aria immediatly wanted to learn the charm for that. One disappointing part of living in Tokyo was that the stars weren't very visible. Hopefully there was a way to ensure it would be strong enough to get past the light pollution, Uta might even enjoy being able to see the stars too. When the sorting began, Aria noticed that the older students seemed to be looking for someone and realized just who they were looking for. She inwardly snorted at the fact they actually thought they knew what she looked like. Not only did she no longer have the 'proper' eyes, the famous scar they were all hoping to see was gone. Funnily enough, the scar had faded after her car accident and Aria couldn't be more grateful for the crash. The attention she got from that stupid scar was annoying. Aria finally paid attention to the sorting when she saw the bush haired girl move. Apparently, the girl's name was Hermione Granger and now she was in Gryffindor. Aria was beginning to wish she'd thought to bring along a blood pop as her stomach ached. While the candy was made for vampires, Aria had found they did wonders for her hunger and had stocked up on as many of them as possible. Finally, Aria heard McGonagall call out, "Potter, Aria."

Walking up to the stool and the rather ratty hat, Aria heard comments on, "Her eyes are really pretty."

"Have you seen her eyes?" Someone from Ravenclaw hissed, "How did she change them?"

The stars and whispering increased while McGonagall looked at Aria in surprise. If Aria was right, McGonagall had been a teacher around the time her parents went to school here. It would be interesting to see if the deputy headmistress had any stories on her family. As soon as the hat fell on her head, Aria stopped hearing the whispers and only saw darkness as the scent of old wool filled her nose. A whispery voice spoke all around her, _"Ah, a Potter and what's this a one-eyed ghoul,"_ Aria froze and the voice chuckled, _"Worry not, you're secret is safe with me as the founders ensured that their students secrets would be safe. I would suggest getting into contact with the goblins about securing yourself the proper food you need when it's time. The blood pops will only dull the hunger much like Coffee,"_ Aria thought about a question and the hat chuckled, _"The goblins won't care about your biology as long as your money is good. In fact, I'm sure they'd be delighted to help you if only to see how horrified the magicals get upon finding out what their savior is. Regardless, it's time we sort you,"_ Aria felt like something was digging into her brain and while it didn't hurt, it felt unpleasant, _"Sorry about this, I haven't sorted any ghouls in a long time though if your memories, the CCG has plated a big part in that,"_ Aria idly wondered about the time and the hat chuckled again, " _Right. Let's see, you're very loyal only to your ghoul best-friend and can't be bothered to care about many others right now, so Hufflepuff isn't for you. Gryffindor is surely not a fit for you though I should mention the headmaster is hoping I sort you there,"_ Aria thought of the things she wanted to do to the headmaster and the hat snickered, " _Quite the imagination. Slytherin is also a no as the snakes would likely attempt to kill you and you'd kill the head of house within a month. The last option is Ravenclaw and with your thirst for knowledge, I can definitely see you belonging there. You are definitely cunning enough to keep them from finding out about what you are. Well, it had better be RAVENCLAW!"_

The hat was removed as silence fell over the hall and Aria made her way towards the empty part of the table. Ravenclaw began to applaud after she was halfway to her seat though the students seemed a bit put off by her sitting down as far away from them as possible. Instead of paying them any mind, Aria laid her head down on the table and hoped they hurried this up as she wanted to eat something.

 **Okay, so this is the longest chapter yet for this story. I will be only brushing over specific parts of each Hogwarts year and spend certain chapters on Aria's summers with Uta. Hit me up with any questions. I hope you enjoyed this chapter though there probably won't be more until next Thursday. I have an update schedule to keep after all.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **I just started watching it a little bit ago and I'm on the tenth episode. I haven't touch the manga just yet, but I love Uta! This is a little idea that popped in my head and wouldn't leave my mind. So I've decided to write it out in order to clear my mind. If it's bad, I'm sorry.**

 **Since someone asked, I've decided to give you guys a time-line of what has happened so far:**

 **1) Original trip to Japan and meeting Uta- Aria age: Five, Uta age: Seven  
2) Dumbledore kidnapping Aria- Aria age:6, Uta age: 8  
** **3)Second trip to Japan- Aria age: 7, Uta age: 9  
4) Dumbledore and Snape taking Aria- Aria age: 10 almost 11, Uta age: 13 as his birthday is in ****December**

* * *

Turns out that Ravenclaw didn't force you to room with anyone, Aria was more than happy as she'd had to room with some other girls at the orphanage. They were horrible and made Aria miss Uta. While he did have a horrible habit of leaving bloodstained clothing, it was better than dealing with air headed and giggly children. At the very least, he didn't badger her about wearing dresses and play princess. Aria gagged at the thought of having to deal with that again and focused on getting her room fixed up. Aria did have to admit that her room was awesome as the ceiling had the same enchantment on it as the great hall and a window seat! She could sit on it and draw comfortably.

* * *

Downside of living as a Ravenclaw was that the other students were nosy as hell and wouldn't stop asking questions. It wasn't until Professor Flitwick intervened when Aria was about to explode that they stopped. Admittedly, they were heavily reluctant to do so and seemed to watch Aria like hawks. It made her get creative to get some time by herself. On the plus-side, Aria managed to increase her stealth and collect quite an interesting collection of objects from fellow students.

* * *

Making a deal with Gringotts was easy though it did take a chunk out of her trust vault, Aria would be kept happily fed and the goblins got paid. Of course, it helped that Aria was willing to help them get into contact with the ghoul community once she was older. They had known ghouls existed, but lacked the ability to get into contact with them as ghouls lacked the ability to use magic.

* * *

Class wise, Aria found herself getting bored. Understanding the theoretical material was easy and it only took Aria a few tries to get the practical stuff down, she finished her homework as soon as she could rather than let it build up like some other students. History of Magic was spent sleeping or doing homework. Herbology was spent trying not to sneeze as she was apparently allergic to certain magical plants. Astronomy turned out to be her easiest class even with a rather pathetic telescope. Transfiguration was interesting for the first class before Aria started getting bored. Charms tuned out fun as her head of house, Professor Flitwick, realized how easy it was for her. Instead of forcing her to work on a spell once she got it down, he gave her the next lesson's to practice during class while asking that she help her fellow students. Defense was mostly self-study like in History though Aria had to get creative to avoid being caught. Finally, Potions became her most hated class.

It wasn't because of Snape though he played a huge part of it. Aria had quickly found out Uta was right about bad smells being worse with a sensitive nose. The potions classroom didn't not have proper airflow, so scents tended to stay in the air even years after the source was removed. Not only that, the room was chilly and gave off a slimy feel that made Aria wanted to leave immediatly. Snape, of fucking course, made it worse on Aria as he seemed to pick the potions that required the ingredients that smelled horrible. Not only did he do that, Snape had the gall to accuse her of doing things wrong and take points for even breathing. In retaliation, Aria had taken to leaving the animal carcasses and owl feces that Setsuko sometimes left by window in front of his classroom door. She did it to his office and personal rooms too when she finally managed to find them. Of course, she had to befriend the rather amusing ginger haired twins to get that information, but they were funny enough that she didn't mind.

* * *

As it was, Aria felt like killing a majority of the students around her come Halloween. Aria hadn't celebrated the holiday before and never planned on it save for indulging in chocolate as that was her favorite sweet. Aria's resolve to never celebrate it had only increased upon learning that her parents had died on the holiday. Even if she never really knew them, Aria acknowledged and thanked them for their sacrifice. When everyone bothered her on Halloween to thank her for 'saving' them, Aria had slowly started to become angry. Aria's anger built to an inferno when Ronald Weasley came up to her and began to comment on how great Halloween was. So she could be excused for blowing up at him and not going to any of her classes for the rest of the day, Aria had managed to have the foresight to grab her journal and disappeared into the furthest reaches of Hogwarts she could. When Aria had found a good place in an abandoned classroom, she warded the door as best she could before opening her journal. As soon as she did, Aria found her anger gone and a smile forming on her face upon seeing what Uta had written:

 ** _You're probably going to have a crappy day today, so you should probably fuck off and just talk to me._**

Aria absentmindedly wiped away the tears staining her cheeks. Uta was the best friend she could ever ask for or need.

* * *

Halloween officially sucked when she caught the scent of something particularly nasty while on the way towards Ravenclaw tower. It increased moments later when a scream sounded and Aria dropped her messenger bag. She opened the door to the classroom she was in and stared at the mountain troll currently standing in the doorway of the bathroom. She heard panicked screaming and glanced around the troll to find the bushy haired girl, Hermione, cowering near the sinks. Aria inwardly groaned as while she didn't like the bushy haired girl, she really didn't want to be tempted by the child's blood. Aria prayed to any god up there that she didn't get killed and darted under the troll to get into the bathroom. She skidded to a stop while commenting, "You really need to stop screaming. You're only going to piss it off more."

"A-Aira?" Aria didn't look back as she could guess that Hermione was looking shocked right about now, "I thought-"

"Don't think I actually like you or anything," Aria glanced back at her, "I'd just rather avoid anyone getting hurt near me," The girl flinched at Aria's comment, "Just get out of here when you find an opening, I really don't need a distraction,"

"Y-you'll get yourself killed!" Hermione shouted making the troll roar in pain and smash his club around.

"I'm stronger than I look and stop shouting," Aria growled at the girl, "Just get out of her and get a fucking teacher, they should be made aware of someone letting this stupid thing in here,"

With that said, Aria began making the troll focus on her rather than Hermione. It worked and soon an opening appeared though the bushy haired girl didn't take it. Using one of the advanced spells Flitwick had her learn, Aria blinded the troll with something goo before grabbing Hermione and leaving the bathroom. She shoved the girl down the hall. Hermione stared at her with wide eyes and Aria glared at her. The girl finally seemed to get the message and began to run while shouting, "Be careful!"

"Just go already!" Aria shouted before focusing on the troll as it finally managed to get the goo out of it's eyes.

Hermione darted off and Aria was left with a rather pissed off troll. Yeah, Halloween officially sucked and Uta was going to accuse her of attracting trouble again. Just her damn luck, Aria took a deep breath through her mouth and focused on the troll. No time like the present to see what her kagune was.

* * *

By the time the Professors had arrived, Aria had managed to kill the troll, but ended up passing out. She was taken to the infirmary and left in the care of the matron. Thankfully, the matron's spells only detected her health rather than species, so Aria's secret hadn't been outed. Aria had been thoroughly questioned about how she managed to kill the troll not only by Dumbledore, but by some Ministry officials. Rather than expose herself, Aria had lied and told them that she couldn't remember as that night was a blur. Thankfully, they believed it and stopped asking questions. An hour after the questions stopped, Professor Flitwick came by with her messenger bag and an amused expression on his face. Apparently, Dumbledore had attempted and failed to get into her messenger bag leaving the old man quite annoyed.

Aria wasn't amused by Dumbledore's attempt to invade her privacy, but was glad she'd shelled out the money she had on her bag. No one save for her and those she allowed could get into it much like her rather expensive trunk. Aria would never take any chances with curious school children around especially those in Ravenclaw. The house animal might be a raven, but it should be a cat with how curious everyone was.

* * *

After leaving the hospital wing, Aria had to get even more creative when it came to avoiding people. If it wasn't some Ravenclaw attempting to figure out how she managed to create the crystals she used to kill the troll, it was Hermione attempting to talk with her. Ronald had only increased his attempts to get close to Aria while commenting on the fact she should be in Gryffindor because she'd been 'brave'. Aria had taken to finding random classrooms to hide in and managed to discover multiple secret passageways during her attempts to hide from nosy brats.

* * *

Aria enjoyed flying and was pretty good at it; however, Quidditch turned out to be confusing and Aria never went to any of the games. Since almost the whole school went out to see the matches, Aria had plenty of time by herself. She spent her alone time either talking to Uta or researching new spells.

* * *

When Christmas came around, Aria stayed in the castle and enjoyed the lack of annoying fellow students. While she did have to deal with Ronald, the twins made it easy to ignore the brat. The two were geniuses when it came to pranks and liked Aria's ideas. She helped them with setting up pranks and pranked Ravenclaw for them since neither of the twins liked attempting to answer riddles. So it was no surprise that Aria owl ordered them potions ingredients and some prank books that they'd get a kick out of, she also made sure to send something for Uta though it was mostly blood pops with a few sketchpads.

Because of how often Uta and Aria moved around, they hadn't celebrated Christmas though Aria hadn't really care much for the holiday due to her relatives actions. It came as a surprise that Aria actually got presents from people though she did feel a little touched. The twins had sent her some new lock picks, which she was pleased about since her old ones were in Japan, and some wizarding candy. The twin's mother had sent her a rather warm sweater and some fudge. Normally Aria would be all over the sweet, but something seemed off about it and Aria set it aside to have Professor Flitwick check it over. To Aria's annoyance, Hermione sent her a book and some sugar free candy. The candy was immediatly tossed while Aria kept the book because it was a rather nice art history book. Hagrid had sent her a hand made flute, a photo album, and some type of cake that made her jaw hurt attempting to eat it. Seeing as Aria could bite through bone due to her ghoul side, she was more than a little freaked out and tossed the cake.

Out of all her gifts, Aria was very confused over the last gift. Someone had sent Aria a cloak that used to belong to her father with only a small note without a name on it. Now, Aria could tell that the cloak was special simply because it smelt heavily of magic. Aria didn't touch it with her bare hands as she had no idea if the magic on the cloak was harmful or not. So playing it safe, Aria took it and the fudge to Professor Flitwick. Professor Flitwick tested the fudge and found it laced with potions, so that was tossed into the garbage. The cloak turned out to be an invisibility cloak and Professor Flitwick had assured her that it had belonged to her father. The off putting part was that someone had apparently laced the cloak with compulsion charms and tracking charms which were quickly removed by the Professor. After everything was said and done, Professor Flitwick had invited Aria to stay for a little while. Aria agreed and the Professor had shared some really cool stories about her parents.

* * *

Aria decided to try out the invisibility cloak after dinner and was pleased to have a new way to avoid the people that annoyed her. Once she got her scent concealing charms down, Aria could use this to help Uta hunt without being in danger of older ghouls coming after them. While Uta was strong, he still had some trouble dealing with the elder ghouls. As Aria walked, she noticed a partially opened door and looked inside to find an empty classroom. Heading inside, Aria was surprise to find a large objected covered by a white cloth. Aria's nose twitched as she caught the faded scent of Dumbledore on the cloth and moved towards the object. While she would normally avoid having anything to do with Dumbledore, she was curious as to what the old bastard was hiding. And so, Aria tugged the white cloth off and found her eyes widening.

A large antique mirror waited beneath the white cloth with writing on the edge. The craftsmanship of the mirror was excellent and Aria wished she'd thought to bring her sketchpad to draw this beautiful mirror. When she slipped off her cloak to get a better look at the mirror, it surprised her by not showing Aria as she was now, but an older version of her. The older version was leaning against a wall with white streaked burgundy and black hair. She had a rather warm looking black leather jacket with a red fur lined collar draped over her shoulder and wore a red graphic t-shirt depicting a howling wolf in black. Hung low on her hips were a pair of ripped up black jeans, she wore a pair of black combat boots. On the visible skin of her arms and legs, she had hazy tattoos in black. On her ears, the older Aria had three piercings in her cartilage and a single fang handing from her lobe. The last thing Aria noticed was that the older version had a black fang tattooed underneath her right eye.

Aria dragged her attention to the man that walked up behind the older version of herself. He looked like an adult version of Uta only with black hair and his kakugan activated. He too had tattoos that were hazy and faded much like her own. He also had piercings on his ears though he also had a lip piercing and two next to his right eye. The older version of Uta had a slight smile on his face as he wrapped an arm around the older version of herself. The older version of Aria smiled lightly and wrapped an arm around Uta's waist. Behind the older versions of Uta and herself, Aria spotted two people that she recognized from the pictures in Hagrid's photo album present. They were her parents. All four looked down at Aria and smiled while giving her a wave. Before Aria could focus on anything else, she heard footsteps and quickly pulled her cloak back on before leaving the room.

As soon as Aria was back in Ravenclaw tower and in the safety of her room, she took off the cloak and sank onto the bed. She sniffed lightly and was surprised to find that her nose was stuffy. Reaching up, she touched her cheek and found tears. How long had she been crying and why?

* * *

Aria only made one more visit to the mirror and managed to read the writing on the mirror. Apparently, Dumbledore had thought it would be a good idea to bring a mirror that showed people what their heart desired into a school of children. It was yet another example of why magicals in England lacked sense. Even so, Aria was pleased that when she returned to the classroom the night before Christmas break ended, the mirror was gone. Since she had been planning on smashing it, Aria was happy that it was gone if only so she wouldn't have to destroy such a lovely work of art.

* * *

Due to the mirror, Aria had begun looking up tattooing, or rather the magical version of it. She was interested in how ghouls could get tattoos as normal needles wouldn't be able to piece their skin. Not only that, the ghoul's body would naturally assume the tattoo was a wound and reject it, so how? How did the older versions of Uta and Aria get tattoos? When Aria told Uta, he got curious as well and promised to ask around. With hope, they would find something.

* * *

Apparently, Hagrid had somehow managed to get a dragon egg and hatched it. He decided to raise it in his wooden hunt. Aria could only shake her head when she heard the news about Hagrid only being able to keep his job because of Dumbledore. The dragon was shipped off to reserve in Romania where the twins older brother, Charlie, lived. Aria had managed to get a glimpse of the dragon before it was shipped off and decided that while it looked ugly as hell, it was awesome for burning Dumbledore's beard. The old man had to wait for his beard to grow back the normal way as the dragon's fire apparently prevented any magic from being used.

* * *

On Another note, Aria was seriously considering killing Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. The two were the most annoying and persistent when it came to getting Aria to acknowledge them. They thought she actually cared that Snape was apparently attempting to steal some kind of magic stone. They wouldn't leave her the hell alone and Aria was getting ready to snap both their necks. The rest of the students had, finally, stopped bugging her for the most part. Her fellow Ravens still tried the odd trick to get her to spill some secrets, but pretty much backed off after she gave them all nightmares. Magicals really needed to learn how to handle gore. She'd be happy to help. On that note, she finally managed to learn how to take magical photos and took pictures of everyone's reactions to her stories.

* * *

When the end of the year exams came, Aria managed to pass all her classes and got in the top ten. She was second in everything save for Charms, Transfiguration, Astronomy, Herbology, and Potions. The first three had Aria at the top of her year. In Herbology, Aria managed to get in 6th place despite her allergy to certain plants which was negated some by using a rather advanced charm, the bubble head charm. In Potions, Aria barely managed to pass, but that was only because Snape was a douchebag that hated her.

* * *

Aria got some amusement a week before they left school. Apparently, Ronald and Hermione had attempted to stop someone from stealing the magical stone they'd been talking about. They almost died in their attempt with Dumbledore arriving in time to barely save them. As it stood, Ronald and Hermione were stuck in the magical hospital recovering from their ordeal. Dumbledore had no idea where the stone was as apparently the thief had vanished leaving the old man frantically searching through the school. Aria had been wandering around the forest to get away from the far too noisy school and found the shitty defense Professor fleeing. As soon as he saw her, the man attempted to kill her and Aria had killed him without a problem. She was surprised to see a cloud of black smoke rise out of his head and watched it run off scream while shouting it would get her back for 'stopping his return'. Aria had shrugged and decided to leave the teachers body for the wolves as she hadn't been hungry. As she was leaving, Aria came across a rather interesting looking stone and decided to take it along. Since she'd be heading to Gringotts to get things ready for her return to Japan, Aria would give it to them. Best–case scenario, she wouldn't have to pay for her trip to Japan. Worst-case scenario, the stone was worthless.

 **Okay, so I fixed some time issues that I didn't notice until I made a proper time-line. Aria returned to Japan one year after she was brought back rather than two years. Sorry if you guys got confused with the update.**

 **Now, this is the last chapter for at least a week. I will only be working on Hunter: The Witch with maybe an update for my one-shot series unless inspiration really hits me.**

 **See you guys next week.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **I felt inspiration, so here you guys go!**

* * *

When Aria got to Gringotts and showed them the stone, the goblins immediatly demanded how much she wanted for it. Apparently, it was a really valuable artifact that they'd been attempting to get their hands on for a long time. If their rambling was to be believed, the stone was actually the philosophers stone. Now, Aria didn't give two shits about the immortality aspect since there was always a price for power of any kind. Look at the ghouls, they had to eat humans because of their biology. Aria was somewhat interested in the stones ability to turn things into pure gold. Aria's time with the Dursleys and the struggle to survive in one of the worst wards in Tokyo had ingrained a need for money into her. As a result of her new knowledge, Aria set things up for her long term benefit earning some grudging respect from the goblins.

In the scheme of things, Aria's demands were relatively simple:  
1) The goblins had to wave certain fees like charging her for getting food for her ghoul side.  
2) The goblins had to inform her of any attempts to get into her vaults.  
3) The goblins had to keep her new biology a secret.  
4) The goblins had to pass along any information they found out, useful or otherwise.  
5) The goblins had to keep any information on ghouls a secret.

The first was simply because keeping herself fed was fucking expensive and the goblins had probably been overcharging her. The second was a given, but Aria had wanted to ensure they'd keep her informed. The third was to keep the magicals from finding out unless she was ready or someone got lucky enough to find out. The fourth was for later and because Aria wanted blackmail just in case. The last one was simply because she had a feeling the English Ministry would be just like the CCG if they ever found out ghouls weren't a myth. While the Japanese Ministry sure as hell knew about ghouls, Aria wasn't too sure about the other countries simply because there were so few ghoul attacks in them.

After Aria had finished her negotiations, the goblins had directed her to a room covered in runes with an empty stone doorway. Somehow, the doorway would transport her to a Japanese branch of Gringotts. They never said where the Gringotts was, so Aria knew that she might need to take a few trains. When Aria walked through the doorway, she felt weightless for a few seconds before gravity suddenly returned. The only reason Aria kept her balance was due to the roof hopping she'd done with Uta and while in the orphanage. Aria took a second to ensure she wouldn't fall over before heading towards the entrance of the room. The goblin that greeted her was dressed in a sharp looking suit, "Heir Potter?"

"Yes, Honorable Goblin," Aria wasn't too sure about how to refer to goblins so settled on being as polite as possible, "May I inquire as to which branch I've come to?"

"You are in the Kamakura," The goblin replied while waving Aria forward, "At the current moment, the Tokyo branch is under construction due to a few problems occurring. It will be fixed by late August, so you won't be late to school. Now, I have the items that you requested. Once you pick them up, I will show you out of the bank,"

Aria nodded while feeling like grinning. While being sent to a Gringotts not in Tokyo was a bit irritating, she would admit it made things easier on her. Seeing as she knew Dumbledore would probably attempt to check on her at some point, he would probably attempt to track her down. With the items she was getting, Dumbledore would have to track her down the old fashioned way. Ah, she loved the goblins and their love of pissing magicals off.

* * *

When Aria arrived in Tokyo, she went to get something to eat and drink at one of the cafes as the train she'd be using to get to the fourth ward wouldn't arrive for an hour. Aria took a deep breath and sighed as she caught the scent of coffee. She glanced around as she heard, "Welcome to Anteiku."

Aria turned and saw an old man standing there. He had swept back white hair and his eyes were currently closed. He wore a rather formal looking waiter outfit. Aria headed to the counter and smiled lightly, "Can I have a cup of coffee and a piece of chocolate cake?"

"Certainly," The old man smiled at her, "Though aren't you a little young to be drinking coffee?"

Aria blinked lightly as her nose caught the scent of the old man. He didn't smell like a human at all. Aria's eyes widened slightly and she let out a sharp breath. The old man seemed to notice and chuckled softly as Aria whispered, "You're a ghoul."

"You have nothing to fear from my workers or I, Little One," The old ghoul placed down the cup of coffee in front of her, "You don't have to eat anything as there are no humans here at the moment," He paused before saying, "Though you do not smell like a normal ghoul,"

Aria's stomach growled and she said, "I'd like that piece of cake, please."

He blinked, but got her the piece of cake she asked for while commenting, "You'll only get sick."

Aria shook her head and began to eat her cake. When she finished, Aria started drinking her coffee much to the old man's shock. Aria smiled at him, "I'm a bit more abnormal than the normal ghoul."

"What are you?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Aria shook her head lightly, "Perhaps another time, Sir. If you'll excuse me, I have a train to catch."

With that said, Aria downed her coffee and placed the money she owed on the counter before leaving the coffee shop. Now, Aria knew what she'd done was risky, but somehow, she knew that old man wouldn't hurt her. Regardless, Aria had a train to catch and her ghoulish best friend to meet up with.

* * *

When Aria got off the train, she left the train station and looked around. The fourth ward still looked like a debilitated shit hole, but Aria still felt at home. Aria frowned as she noticed that Uta wasn't anywhere nearby when he said he'd be there. Aria wondered if he'd gotten caught up in some kind of troublesome situation and inwardly sighed. With Uta's love of causing trouble, Aria wouldn't be surprised. As Aria got ready to go start looking for him, she felt a touch to her shoulder. Spinning around with a small yelp, Aria found Uta smiling lightly at her, "Boo."

"Asshole," Aria punched him in the arm before hugging him, "Missed you,"

"Missed you too," Uta hugged her back before pulling away, "Let's get to the hideout, I have a lot of stuff to tell you,"

Aria frowned at him, but followed as he led the way, "What kind of stuff?"

"The kind of stuff that I felt were better shared in person rather than through writing," Uta answered as they moved through garbage filled alleyways and crack covered sidewalks.

Aria's frown worsened, but she decided to keep her comments quite right now. Something was bothering Uta, it was quite clear by how he was acting and the fact he was being extra careful while leading her to the hideout he'd chosen.

* * *

The hideout turned out to be a partially underground apartment complex that was in fairly good condition on the inside as opposed to the rather horrible looking outside. Uta pulled her into one of the underground apartments that was hidden beneath a wreckage filled hallway. Aria set her things down in the single bedroom inside the whole apartment where Uta's things were already set up. When she entered the rather comfortable looking living room, Aria found Uta settled on the couch and scrutinizing a set of blueprints. Aria settled down beside him and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Planning something," Uta turned towards her and blinked with a surprised expression on his face, "'Ria..."

Aria blinked before realizing that Uta hadn't gotten a good look at her before, "Like them?"

"They're diffrent," Uta examined her eyes, "At the very least, you kept some of your original coloring," He smiled at her, "I like them," Aria returned his smile, "Show me,"

Knowing what he was asking for, Aria rolled her eyes and concentrated on making her eye change, "Demanding."

Uta stared at the eye and muttered, "Just like the myth, a single kakugan."

Aria returned her eye to normal, "So what are you planning?"

Uta shook his head lightly before turning back to the blueprints, "I'm planning on making things easier on us. I rather like this hideout and don't feel like moving anytime soon."

"I will admit that this seems like the best hideout we've had so far," Aria couldn't blame him for wanting to keep it, "So the blueprints?"

"I wanted to get stronger and you'll need to get stronger too for what I have planned," Uta smiled at her.

Aria nodded while tossing a glance to the blueprints, "And your plan is?"

"I'm going to become the moderator of the fourth ward," Uta explained making Aria gasp and stare at him in shock.

Aria couldn't believe what he'd just said, "Isn't the moderator supposed to be the strongest ghoul in the entire territory?"

Uta nodded with a slight grin, "Which is why we need to get stronger, you'll be my second after all."

Aria could tell Uta was completely serious about his plan and inwardly sighed. Of course, Uta would plan on becoming the moderator because he would be able to cause as much trouble as possible while rising to the specific place. And once he was the moderator, Uta would get to cause trouble with any ghouls that entered the fourth ward. Granted, the ghouls in question would have to break the rules, but people always ended up breaking the rules. Letting out a low sigh, Aria nodded and said, "I'm in. I've got to keep you from causing too much trouble after all."

"Good!" Uta hugged her to him.

"So how does a ghoul become stronger?" Aria asked him, "I know that we'll need to train our bodies since fighting will be a big part of what we do, but what else?"

Uta smiled a rather sadistic looking smile that she hadn't seen before, "Simple, we indulge ourselves in some cannibalism."

* * *

Ghouls, Aria quickly found, tasted rather bad compared to humans. They tasted like weak old meat and worse than stale crackers. Aria didn't really like it and told Uta so though her best friend was decidedly unsympathetic. Regardless, Aria found that Uta was right about them getting stronger while practicing cannibalism though that could be because Uta only went after the ghouls that were just above him in strength. Regardless, Aria really didn't like eating ghoul meat and planned on stopping as soon as Uta got tired of being the fourth ward moderator. Aria had just finished getting dressed when she noticed three packages sticking out of her messenger bag. Smiling lightly, Aria removed them and headed into the living room where Uta was working on a new sketch, "Uta."

"Hmm?" Uta hummed without looking up from his drawing.

"I forgot about some stuff I got from the goblins," Aria told him and sat down on the couch beside him after setting the three packages down.

"What are they?" He asked her curiously.

Aria took off the wrapping paper on all three packages revealing a large wooden box and two medium sized ones. She opened the largest of the boxes revealing wrapped packages, "Take a guess."

"Human?" Uta asked as he picked one up.

Aria nodded as Uta opened it and took a bite from the piece of meat inside, "When the box empties, it'll refill itself. The charms and runes on the box will ensure it never spoils."

Uta smiled lightly as he finished off the meat, "Very nice. Next?"

Aria opened the box to reveal a small pile of letters, "The goblins hold the second box. All my mail goes through them, so no one can curse me or track me using my mail."

"Interesting," Uta gestured to the last box, "And that one?"

Aria opened it to reveal a fist sized stone. It was a dark almost blood red with veins of green, black, and purple, "This stone keeps my location a secret from anyone I don't want knowing where I am."

"That's why the old man hasn't found you yet," Uta's eyes were slightly wide before he smiled at her, "Well done,"

Aria returned his smile before grabbing his hand and pressing it to the stone. Uta took his hand back as the stone shown brightly with crimson colored energy before returning to normal. Aria offered him an apologetic smile, "I needed the stone to take some of your blood. If I ever go missing and you need to find me, you'll be able to use the stone."

"You could have asked," Uta pointed out.

Aria grinned at him, "Payback."

Uta rolled his eyes before asking, "Will you be leaving that with me?"

"Of course," Aria closed the box containing the stone and the meat, "I'll also be leaving the meat box with you. The letter one will be coming with me,"

Aria stood up with the two boxes in hand and left to go put them away. She put the meat box in the kitchen and the stone box in their shared room. When she got back, Uta had returned to his sketches. Aria sat down and leaned against Uta as she began to go through her mail.

* * *

They were out hunting when they came across a weaker ghoul struggling against an older and stronger pair of ghouls. Aria and Uta shared a look before jumping into the fight. Since Uta wanted to become the fourth ward's moderator, they would need ghouls to follow them and this would be where they started. Aria activated her kagune and got in front of the weaker ghoul as Uta began to fight with the older ghouls. When she saw an opening, Aria attacked, but mainly stayed back as Uta was more than capable of dealing with the two. When Uta managed to kill them, Aria turned to the weaker ghoul. The weaker ghoul was older than Aria and Uta by at least ten year. If Aria had to guess, the female ghoul was in late twenties to early thirties. Aria smiled at the ghoul, "Are you going to be alright?"

The female ghoul stared at them with wide eyes, but managed to nod. Aria walked over to where Uta was beginning to tear apart the elder ghouls and said, "She seems a bit shocked."

"We did save her," Uta replied without even glancing at the elder ghoul.

Aria grabbed a few fingers and began to eat them as the female ghoul asked, "Why?" Aria and Uta turned to her, "Why help me?"

Aria swallowed her mouthful before replying, "You needed some help and we were looking for some food, so we helped you out."

"But you're kids," The woman replied.

Aria snorted softly, "I'm almost twelve and Uta's fourteen, so we're not exactly children. We're also orphans."

The woman stared at them with wide eyes and Aria snickered softly as she continued to eat. Aria had found out fairly quickly that regardless of whether it came from a ghoul or a human, bone marrow was sweet. Since Aria liked sweet things, she tended to go for the bones while Uta always went for the eyes first. Aria and Uta ignored the woman as they continued to eat. When she finally spoke up, they had already finished eating the ghouls' organs, "You two should move to another ward. It would be safer for you."

"Not necessarily," Aria replied while glancing at the woman, "Some wards are worse than this one. We also know this ward enough to hide and stay alive if someone is far too strong for us to handle. While your concern is touching, you don't need to worry about us,"

"Not to mention," Uta spoke up, "I want to become the fourth wards moderator by the time I turn seventeen, so I do need to live here,"

"The moderator?" The woman gasped while staring at Uta with wide eyes.

Aria didn't blame her for staring at Uta like he'd grown two heads and suddenly proclaimed that the Doves were the greatest thing to happen to ghouls. Since the moderator was essentially the leader of the ward, Uta would have to become super strong in order to both defeat the current moderator and keep the peace with all the ghouls inside the ward not to mention the ones that were just passing through. It was a very big goal, but Aria knew Uta would do it. If Uta thought of something and liked the idea, he would do it no matter what. And since Aria needed to be around to keep Uta from doing anything too crazy or get in over his head, she would need to get strong as well. Aria spoke up, "A big goal, but Uta will do it. I know he will."

"You sound so sure," The woman looked at Aria, "Why?"

"He's Uta," Aria shrugged as she broke a rib bone open to suck out the marrow, "If he puts his mind to it, he'll do it. No one can change that,"

"What about you?" The woman asked earning a snort.

Aria shook her head as Uta began eating an arm, "Not even I can change his mind, I've given up trying unless it's a truly insane idea. Now," Aria looked at the woman, "What's your name?"

"M-my name?" The woman looked at her in shock.

Aria nodded with a smile, "I can't keep thinking of you as 'the woman', can I? It would be impolite."

"Sumire," The woman answered after a few moments, "Ganbe Sumire,"

"A pleasure to meet you though I wish it could have been under better circumstances," Aria finished off her rib and moved to another, "If you were doing something before, I would suggest getting back to it. After all, we have no way of knowing if these guys had friends,"

Sumire hesitated before taking off. Uta spoke as soon as she was gone, "She was a bit rude."

Aria glanced at him, "You do realize we just saved her from being killed and announced your intention to become the next moderator, right? She's bound to be shocked and ready to leave."

"Still should have asked for our names," Uta finished off the arm he'd been eating.

Aria shook her head lightly and followed him as Uta took off. Honestly, she was too used to her best-friend to even bat an eye over his comments anymore.

* * *

They walked into the magical district of Tokyo with Aria holding Uta's hand to prevent her best-friend from wandering off. They were given a few glances by the locals due to Aria's English heritage. Uta glanced at her as she once again tugged him back to her, "I'm hungry."

"You ate, literally thirty minutes ago," Aria deadpanned, "You can wait until we check out the book shops,"

"Mean," Uta accused her earning an eye roll.

"Yeah, yeah," Aria looked around before heading up to a nearby fruit vender, "Excuse me, Miss?"

The vender looked at Aria, "Can I help you?"

"My friend and I are attempting to find a good bookshop," Aria answered while tugging Uta to her, "We're both new the area and aren't very familiar with how the alley is set up,"

The vender nodded while stealing a rather confused glance at Uta, "You should go to Genbu's. He carries a little bit of everything. His shop is in the building about two doors down from the bank."

Aria bowed lightly, "Thank you, Miss. C'mon Uta, we have books to find."

With that Aria pulled Uta away from the fruit stand, Uta allowed it with a slight frown, "I don't like the look she was giving me."

"I don't either," Aria and Uta continued to walk, "We'll have to be careful getting back to the hideout,"

"Agreed," Uta looked vaguely amused with the prospect of trouble making Aria internally sigh.

* * *

Aria looked down at the struggling pair of men, "Why were you two following us?"

"Gaijin scum shouldn't be traveling through our alley like they belong there," One of them spat at her.

"Nor should they be keeping the company of monsters," The other growled while glaring at Uta.

Aria blinked slightly before commenting, "So you were two narrow minded idiots just trying to show two outsiders that we shouldn't go back to that alley?"

One of them leered at her, "You would have fetched quite the galleon in the trade."

"So slave-traders," Aria didn't even hesitate to slit both their throats, "Uncivilized idiots,"

Uta sniffed lightly, "They don't smell as good as you did before."

"Perhaps it's due to how powerful my magic is?" Aria guessed as they began to eat the wizards.

"Maybe," Uta shrugged as he removed their eyes, "Doesn't change the fact they taste a bit better than normal humans and much better than ghouls,"

"Still, we shouldn't be hunting these guys regularly," Aria began eating their fingers, "Maybe one or two every six months if not a year?"

"At least until we get stronger," Uta agreed earning a nod from Aria, "And you're out of school,"

Aria nodded while noting that each of the wizards had a unique taste added onto them. The one on the right tasted a bit spicier with an earthier undertone and slightly dry. The one on the left tasted sweeter with a watery undertone. Aria found that she liked the one on the left while Uta enjoyed the one on the right though he admitted that both their eyes tasted especially good. Aria admitted that she had wished Uta would share since eyes tasted really good, but knew it would be a while be he did it.

* * *

Aria was using Uta's stomach as a pillow while they were taking a nap on the couch when a ding sounded. Aria slowly opened her eyes and spotted her letter box glowing slightly. Groaning slightly, Aria slowly sat up and reached for the box as Uta muttered, "Go back to sleep."

"Important letter, I can't," Aria replied while rubbing her eyes and opening the box.

With one hand, Aria took out the letter and opened it. She read it only to stop and reread it feeling more awake. When she finally managed to comprehend the letter, she poked Uta in the stomach. He just ignored the poke and continued napping. Aria rolled her eyes and poked him again. He merely rolled over and Aria sighed deeply before poking him again. Finally, Uta cracked open an eye and asked, "What?"

"Apparently a house elf just tried to steal my mail," Aria informed him and Uta closed his eye for a second.

When what she said finally managed to sink in, Uta opened his eyes and moved to sit beside her, "What exactly is a house elf?"

"They're apparently a species of brownies that do house hold chores in exchange for magicals stabilizing their magic," Aria replied while reading over the letter.

"And one tried stealing your mail because?" Uta looked at the letter curiously.

"It was trying to keep me from going back to Hogwarts," Aria answered, "From what my account manager says, the little elf was trying to protect me,"

"How does stealing mail have anything to do with protecting you or going back to Hogwarts?" Uta's eyes were filled with disbelief.

"Fuck if I know and my account manager couldn't get it out of the damn elf before it managed to escape," Aria set the letter down, "My manager has managed to set something up to keep that elf from getting to my mail, but gave me a warning that it will probably try something before I head back to school,"

Uta looked at the letter before saying, "Looks like you'll need to be more careful this year."

Aria nodded with a yawn, "Lets get back to our nap, I'm still tired from last night"

"I did say you shouldn't stay up late," Uta pointed out as he laid down and they retook their former positions.

"I wanted to get my homework done," Aria replied as she set her head back down on his stomach, "And you don't get to talk, you stayed up too,"

"I was working on a design for our first masks," Uta replied in a light tone, "We are going to need them at some point,"

Aria merely hummed softly and closed her eyes.

* * *

Aria looked at the mess that was their kitchen before commenting, "You don't get to attempt to cook anything anymore."

Uta had the decency to look slightly sheepish, "Sorry?"

"Let's get this cleaned up," Aria got out the cleaning supplied and together they worked on cleaning the kitchen, "Why were you trying to cook?"

Uta was cleaning the counter tops as she worked on the stove, "I wanted to make a birthday cake for you. Since you can still eat it, I figured it might be a nice present."

Aria was touched even if Uta utterly failed at his first attempt at cooking, "That's nice of you, U. Thank you."

Uta flashed her a smile before turning his attention back to the counter, "We should do something for your birthday."

"I did find a good cafe on my first day back," Aria glanced at Uta, "We could go there,"

"The one run by the older ghoul?" Uta asked and Aria hummed in response, "It is your birthday and I'm honestly curious about how a ghoul runs a cafe that serves both kinds,"

"Not to mention, they make good chocolate cake," Aria just grinned imagining it, "And this time, I'll be able to properly taste it,"

Uta let out a soft laugh and shook his head. If it had chocolate, Aria would eat it. Well, he supposed Aria wouldn't eat chocolate covered eyes. Uta paused as he considered that. Maybe he should try that some time, it would be a fun experiment and Aria would eat them if he couldn't.

* * *

Aria led the way into the cafe and they were greeted by a smiling woman with black hair, "Welcome to Anteiku."

Aria and Uta headed to an empty table, "Two cups of coffee and a piece of chocolate cake, please."

"Of course," The woman eyed them before disappearing to get their order.

Uta looked around the shop with curious eyes as he sniffed the air, "You were right about it serving both humans and ghouls."

"And it has a rather nice view," Aria gestured to the window earning a nod.

Aria took out the book on fairy-tales she had picked up during their trip to the magical alley while Uta took out his sketch book. While they were either reading or sketching, the duo kept an eye on the area around them. When the woman appeared with their order, Aria immediatly began to eat her chocolate cake much to Uta's amusement. Aria stuck her tongue out at him before returning to eating her cake though at a much slower pace. The woman blinked in surprise before commenting, "You two are younger than our usual customers."

"It's Aria's birthday and she wanted to come here," Uta answered after taking a sip of his coffee, "You have very good coffee,"

"The cakes fantastic too," Aria told the woman with a warm smile.

"It's your birthday?" The woman asked earning a nod, "How old are you?"

"Twelve, Miss," Aria informed her, "Uta's fourteen,"

The woman nodded while looking slightly surprised, "And you're both out without your parents? That's very mature of you two."

Aria swallowed the cake in her mouth without saying anything as Uta replied, "We both lost our parents while we were very young."

The woman opened her mouth to say something when someone called for her attention. Aria spoke after eating the last of her cake and taking a sip of her coffee, "She was..."

"Nosy," Uta finished his coffee.

"It isn't surprising since we are a bit young," Aria worked on finishing her coffee.

When they did, the two paid and left while well aware of the stares following after them.

* * *

Uta was sketching some mask designs when Aria entered the room carrying her own sketch book. She set it down and pointed to it, "I just remember that I drew this."

The drawing was of what she'd seen in that magical mirror. Uta looked it over and admitted that he rather liked how his older self looked, "Perhaps we will actually look like that one day."

"I do wonder what caused the white streaks," Aria commented as she settled down beside him and laid across his lap.

Uta just settled his sketchpad on her back as Aria took out the book on magical tattooing, "If it's meant to be, we will find out."

Aria hummed lightly and began reading.

* * *

Uta held her down as Aria struggled against him, "I don't want you to go."

"I have to go back to Hogwarts," Aria retorted while admitting that Uta had gotten even stronger since they started their diet of ghoul meat.

Uta pouted at her, "You should stay here."

"Dumbledore might do something worse if I don't return for my second year," Aria reminded him.

Uta laid down on her with his head against her shoulder and held her against him, "I know."

Aria sighed as she managed to free her arms and rubbed his back, "I'll be back."

Uta burrowed his face in her shoulder, "I want that school to burn down."

Aria snorted and let out a soft laugh, "You and me both, but I need to go."

Uta was silent and held her closer to him. While the hold was somewhat painful, Aria ignored the pain. This would be the first time Aria had even willingly separated herself from Uta, she would freely admit that she didn't want to go back. She couldn't say that to Uta or he would use it as fuel to make her stay. Even if Aria didn't want to admit it, Uta had a hold on her that was hard to ignore and sometimes she didn't even want to ignore it. Right now was an example of that hold on her. Aria too had a hold on Uta which was why Uta sighed deeply through his nose and muttered, "Fine."

Uta slipped off her to lay on the floor beside her and Aria curled up against him. Uta wrapped an arm around her waist and held her there as Aria murmured, "I might be able to come back for Christmas. If I can chance it, I will."

"I'll hold you to that," Uta muttered softly.

Aria sighed and curled up against him tighter. For now, she would lay here with him as she still had a few days to get her things packed up.

* * *

When it was time for her to leave, Uta only allowed her to go after she repeatedly promised to return. When Aria used the stone doorway to return to England, she nearly walked right back through. Only the threat of Dumbledore doing worse and Aria's need to make the connections for her exit from the English magical society kept her from doing so, she walked out of the door and was met by her account manager.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **Before you start to read, I have one thing to say. While it didn't happen on this story, I feel the need to give a small warning:**

 **I will update when I choose to. If you decide to be pushy, I probably won't update. Let me update at my own pace as sometimes it's hard to find time to write or hard to find inspiration when you've had a particularly shitty day. Be Patient with this author.**

 **Thank you, let's get onto the story.**

* * *

Aria rubbed her eyes tiredly as she walked through the barrier to the train station. Sometimes, Aria really despised the time difference between Japan and England. It was horrible and this time, she didn't have Uta to help her stay up. Inwardly groaning, Aria wished she'd had to foresight to get a cup of coffee or something to make staying awake easier. Aria noted that the train station barely had anyone and checked the time. Huh, she managed to get here early. Yawning softly, Aria headed for the train only to pause as an absolutely lovely scent filled her nose. Turning her head, Aria found the source of the scent to be a wide-eyed girl with dirty blonde hair speaking with a man that had to be her father. The man hugged her and left. Noticing the girl's trunk, Aria walked over, "Are you a first-year?"

"Yes, Aria Potter," The blonde replied making Aria's eyes widen, "You don't have nargles, but given what you are, I can't be surprised,"

Aria froze as she stared at the blonde in shock. How did she know? Aria had a mini panic-attack before forcing herself to calm down. She didn't have all the facts and it was quite possible that the blonde didn't actually know about Aria's ghoul side. Swallowing heavily, Aria asked, "Would you like to join me for the train ride? I could use some help staying awake. In exchange, we can share knowledge?"

"I will accept on the promise that you won't bite me or attempt to eat me," The girl replied throwing Aria's hope that she didn't know about her ghoul side out of the window.

Aria took a deep breath through her mouth and nodded, "So long as you promise not to tell anyone about me."

"Agreed," The girl replied and Aria did the same, "Now we should find a compartment,"

Aria grabbed the girl's trunk and got onto the train with the blonde following. Aria found the compartment she'd use during both her past train rides and went inside. The little blonde followed and took a seat on the bench across from where Aria was planning on sitting. After settling both their trunks and her very disgruntled owl down, Aria settled down, "You know my name, yet I do not know yours."

"My name is Luna Lovegood," The blonde answered while picking up her wand and placing privacy charms on the compartment, "Now, you must be curious as to how I know what you are," The dreamy tone was gone leading Aria to realize it was a mask put in place by the blonde for some reason, "To put it shortly, I am a seer though not as powerful as some. Unlike most, I get my information from the beings that only I can see. The reason for this is due to an unfortunate accident that cost me my mother,"

Aria's eyes widened as she recalled the information she'd read about seers last year out of curiosity, "So those beings allow you to see the future or give you snippets of the future?"

Luna nodded her head, "Yes though the information is not limited to just the future of this world. I tend to block out most of it since I really don't want to go insane which is more than I can say for most of my others."

Aria frowned at her, "So why tell me this or even approach me? You know what I am and what my main source of food is. So why?"

"Because no matter the universe, you never abandon your friends," Luna looked at her with tired eyes, "I want what my others have and honestly don't care about what you eat. Most of humanity is complete shit anyway and that's not even counting the magicals,"

"So you want to be my friend?" Aria asked with disbelief coating her tone, "I find that hard to believe. Who's to say I won't use you?"

Aria wouldn't use anyone unless it was necessary or they were particularly horrible people. She had been used by her relatives both as a scape-goat for Dudley's more horrible habits and a scape-goat for all the bad things that happened to them. And judging by the expression on Luna's face, she knew it. Luna smiled lightly, "You already know what I do, so why do we have to play this game?"

Aria sighed deeply, "If you're so knowledgeable, you know I don't have any experience with females."

Luna shrugged lightly, "I don't care. We can work through it together. I really want to be your friend."

Aria was tempted to say no, but knew she needed someone other than Uta to talk to. She was well aware that there were something that Uta couldn't do and admitted that she had wanted a female friend to talk to. Not to mention, she had been looking for connections that would assist in her leaving the English magical society. This was her chance to make another one as the twins wouldn't be enough and it would be nice to have another friend know what she was, Aria let out another sigh before saying, "Alright, but when the time comes, you have to help me leave the English magical society. Also you need to keep all the information you know about me a secret. If you can do that, I'll be your friend."

Luna beamed at her and clapped her hands, "Good! I can't wait until you introduce me to Uta."

Aria found herself staring at the blonde with wide eyes as she choked out, "W-what?!"

Luna smiled in a way that reminded Aria of Uta when he came up with a particularly devious way to cause trouble or the twins when they came up with a new prank for the Slytherins. A shiver ran down her spine and Aria vowed to not introduce Luna to Uta anytime soon. She immediatly changed that promise when Luna said, "Why, so we can cause immense chaos and make the world burn, of course!"

Yeah, Aria was so not allowing Luna to meet Uta until she was out of Hogwarts at the very least. At least then, Aria would have some ability to ensure the two made thorough plans and did so safely. Aria was not foolish enough nor cared enough about most people to stop the two. Even if she had only just met Luna, she knew Uta and damn well knew he'd be on board with that plan as soon as he heard it. Of course, it would wait until he tired of being the fourth ward's moderator, but he'd still end up doing it. And by the grin on Luna's face, the damn blonde knew it too.

* * *

Aria glanced at the bushy haired brunette that entered the compartment, "Yes, Granger?"

"You didn't write me back all summer," Hermione informed her.

Aria blinked slightly and tried to remember if she'd gotten any letters from Hermione only to come up blank. Recalling the house elf incident, Aria informed the brunette, "I've had a problem with my mail all summer. I barely got my Gringotts stuff and my Hogwarts letter. I apologize though I don't recall saying that you could owl me."

"I just thought that after the troll you would have..." Hermione trailed off and Aria shook her head.

"Granger, I only help you because I didn't want to deal with anyone dying because of that thing," Aria rolled her eyes at the hurt look on the bushy haired girl's face, "I recall telling you something similar back during the incident," Aria sighed softly as the girl began to tear up, "Granger, I will not apologize as I have no reason to. I have a best friend, the twins, and Luna. They are all the friends I need. Please leave me alone before I decide to actually be mean,"

Granger ran out of the compartment with a sob and Aria shook her head lightly. Luna spoke after a few seconds, "You do realize she won't give up, right? She'll continue to try and get you to realize she's worthy of being your friend."

Aria let out another and mentally wondered how many times she'd sigh before the train even left the station, "I was hoping she'd give up at some point, but I suppose she's in Gryffindor and not Ravenclaw for a reason. I won't hurt her yet, but at some point, I might."

Luna nodded lightly, but said nothing as Aria leaned back against her seat. She felt the beginnings of a headache and wondered why she hadn't gotten a coffee before coming here. Coffee always had a way of keeping the headaches at bay.

* * *

Five minutes before the train was due to leave the station, Ronald showed up with a grin on his face, "Aria! How was your summe-"

"Ronald, why are you bothering me?" She cut him off.

Aria knew she was being rude, but at the moment, she didn't really care. She had a serious headache which had only gotten worse due to the scent coming off of him. All she wanted was for him to get out of her compartment. Ronald blinked at her, "You're my best-"

"I am not nor will I ever be your best-friend," Aria growled at him while feeling glad she hadn't cut her bangs just yet seeing as her kakugan was about to make an appearance due to her mood, "Please leave before I throw you out,"

Ronald opened his mouth only to be saved by his twin brothers. They unceremoniously tossed him out of the compartment with a stern warning to leave everyone inside alone. The two then turned to her and asked, "What happened this summer?"

"I had problems with my mail," She informed the duo while rubbing her temples, "Fuck, I have a headache,"

The two looked at one another before suggesting, "You should take a nap."

"How do I know you won't prank me?" Aria really wanted to go to sleep, but knew she needed to stay up in hopes of getting used to being in this time-zone faster.

"Pranksters honor," The two chorused.

Luna spoke up as Aria was about to argue, "Just take a nap, I'll wake you around one which should give you two hours."

Aria eyed her before nodding and grabbing her bag. Patting it lightly, Aria laid her head up against it and curled up to sleep.

* * *

Like Luna had promised, Aria was woken up sometime time past one. It was just in time for the snack cart which saw Aria purchase quite a bit of chocolate seeing as she hadn't had a chance to stock up on it between leaving Uta and making it to the train station on time. She also managed to get some sweets that had coffee as the main ingredient. When she finished them, the last traces of her headache dissipated and Aria was ready to deal with people again. Stretching lightly, Aria asked, "Anything happen while I was out?"

"Just some first years coming to gawk at you and an older student came to speak with you," Luna informed her, "He was here on Hermione's behalf, but I managed to keep him from disturbing you,"

"Ah," Aria finished stretching, "Well, I suppose we should get onto the promised information exchange though I'm fairly sure you probably know more about Hogwarts than I do,"

Luna shrugged lightly, "It might be in my mind, but I don't have physical knowledge not to mention Hogwarts is diffrent in every dimension."

Aria hummed softly, "I wonder what's diffrent with ours."

"Won't know until we find out," Luna replied as they settled in to talk.

About half an hour later, a blonde haired Slytherin boy that she vaguely remembered from first year entered the compartment, "Potter."

Aria searched her mind for who this was only to come up blank. Offering the boy an apologetic look, Aria said, "I'm terribly sorry, but I unfortunately can't remember meeting you last year. Could I trouble you for a name? I really don't want to be unintentionally rude."

The boy looked slightly surprised, but replied, "My name is Draco. Draco Malfoy and these are my friends, Crabbe and Goyle."

"A pleasure to meet you three," Aria then gestured to Luna, "This is my new friend, Luna Lovegood," Aria turned back to the three, "Now, I am sure that you three have other friends to catch up with about your summer, so how about you tell me why you've come to our compartment and I'll see about trying to help you,"

Draco cleared his throat and it was quite clear to Aria that he was used to being in-charge of the conversation, "I have come to offer you my hand in friendship. It is quite obvious you do not have many friends and those that I've seen," He glanced at Luna with a disdainful look, "Aren't quite good for your image."

Aria's eyes narrowed slightly at the blonde boy. While she may have just met Luna, the girl was quickly becoming a good friend. As such, Aria felt slightly defensive over her. Taking a deep breath to keep her emotions in check, Aria told the boy, "As you've said, I do not have many friends. What you should realize is that my lack of friends is by my own choice. The ones who came for my friendship before you were not what I want in a friend. You are quickly proving that you're the same," Draco's eyes widen as the boy realized his mistake, "Anyone I choose to become friends with is my friend because they are exactly what I'm looking for. While I realize that due to your heritage, you have connections that could prove useful. If you seek demean one of those that have managed to become my friend, I will not be yours."

"I-I," The boy swallowed thickly, "I understand and," He seemed to have trouble with the next word, "A-Apologize,"

Aria nodded slightly, "Thank you. While I do not intend to accept you as a friend," She could see the boy bristle and begin to look angry, "Perhaps we can be allies? At the very least, I would prefer us to be neutral to one another," He looked at her in surprise, "I am not well-versed in the ways of the magical world, but I do realize that isolating a potential ally and someone that could later be a friend would be detrimental in the long run. If you are willing, I would like to get some tutoring in the society that I have been away from since that horrible night."

Draco looked horribly conflicted, "I..."

"If it would be easier on you, I do not need an answer at this time," Aria offered making the boy nod with a relieved look on his face, "I believe a week from now would be perfect as that will give you enough time to think about it and all parties some time to settle in,"

"That is agreeable," Draco spoke lightly, "Where shall we meet up?"

Aria hummed lightly before suggesting, "The library as it will be a neutral territory and a place where we will have some modicum of privacy while still being in view of others."

Draco nodded and left the compartment with a thoughtful look on his face. Luna spoke as soon as they were gone, "That was diffrent from what many of your others do."

"I am not them and they are not me," Aria replied as she relaxed back into her seat, "I seek only to gain and keep my allies until such a time as I leave the English magical society,"

"You speak rather politely considering everything," Luna commented making Aria blink.

Aria looked at her before shrugging, "I've learned to be polite considering the fact that Uta can't be bothered unless it's for a reason. While I'm sure he'll eventually be more polite, I must be the polite one."

* * *

When the sorting occurred, Aria wasn't surprised when Luna was practically tossed into Ravenclaw by the hat. She only made some room at the the end of the table near the doors and patted Luna's arm in congratulation. Aria did take note of the twin's younger sister being sorted into Gryffindor, but no one else really touched on her radar. When Dumbledore started the feast, Aria glanced at him and noted that he didn't seem very angry. Aria guessed that he hadn't noticed her leaving the country which was a good thing as she wasn't quite ready to properly deal with him. Turning to the food platters, Aria began to serve herself as Luna did the same beside her. Luna spoke up softly, "Dumbledore probably won't notice your trips outside of the country until third year, at the very least."

"Hmmm," Aria hummed softly as she began to eat, "Let's hope that prediction holds,"

Luna nodded lightly and began to eat her dinner.

* * *

Just like last year, Aria found herself bugged by curious Ravenclaw first years though the higher years seemed to have realized she wouldn't answer their questions. Oh, they still tried the occasional trick, but settled down. It was during the first week that Aria found out that just because Luna was her friend didn't prevent people from attempting to bully her. The moment she caught wind of it had Aria going to Professor Flitwick. The Professor proved to be less than pleased by the bullying and proceeded to put the fear of god into those little brats. Aria had suggested that Luna share her room if only to prevent the blonde's things from being stolen by angry students. The Professor had agreed and moved Aria into a larger room near the top of the tower. Aria greatly enjoyed the view and Luna proved to be an excellent roommate.

Of course, Aria quickly discovered that Luna was right about Hermione. The bushy haired girl showed off even more in class and quite honestly pissed everyone off. Aria did everything to ignore her, but Hermione proved to be a pushy little brat and forced Aria to pay some attention to her. Hermione had taken to stalking her in the halls and Aria was growing even more irritated with her. Aria's success in avoiding her seemed to only increase the stubborn girl's drive to stalk Aria. Not only was Hermione stalking her, Ronald and some other Gryffindors were doing the same as well. The Gryffindors in question were two first years with one being a muggleborn and the other being the twin's younger sister, Ginny.

Aria also discovered one of the worst parts about being a female on the first day of classes. During her second class, Aria had to make a trip to the hospital wing. Luckily, Aria had Transfiguration and McGonagall had taken pity on her rather than force the rather confused/alarmed girl to explain what happened. Aria then had the pleasure of learning about puberty from a rather unamused Madam Pomfrey. The mediwitch had allowed Aria to skip the rest of her classes that day and took Aria to get the supplies she'd need. Upon finding out what happened, Luna had laughed at Aria and the one-eyed ghoul had hit her with a pillow.

* * *

Aria entered the DADA room and immediatly wanted to run out. It wasn't due to the scent of any student as her fellow Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs smelled fairly good. The teacher radiated a particularly nasty scent that made Aria want to avoid him. Not to mention, the man radiated falseness underneath his beautiful exterior. Inwardly gagging, Aria settled in a seat at the back of the class. She stealthily cast the bubble-head charm while feeling glad that Professor Flitwick had helped her make it so the charm was nearly undetectable. She took a deep breath and sighed in relief.

When Lockhart handed out the test, Aria had scanned it over and immediatly snorted softly. So the teacher not only smelled horrible, he was a narcissist. She inwardly groaned at Dumbledore's choice for a teacher and mentally hoped that next year would be better. While she was fine with self-study, Aria admitted that she really wanted a good teacher. Rather than attempt to answer the questions, Aria began to doodle.

Aria barely bat an eye when Lockhart froze while looking at her test sheet. She smiled pleasantly at him as he looked at her with a nervous glint in his eyes. Lockhart swallowed and coughed lightly, "Ms. Potter could you please explain these drawings? You were supposed to be answering the questions."

Aria hummed lightly as she leaned against her chair, "The questions were all about you rather than the subject you're teaching. As such, I didn't not see the need to answer them seeing as I have no intention of learning about you. Everyone in this class is taking it to learn, Mr. Lockhart. Unless you intend to teach, I will be requesting that Professor Flitwick allow me to self-study. As he is my head of house, Professor Flitwick is able to allow me that privilege so long as I show that I'm using that time wisely."

"Ms. Potter-" Lockhart drew himself up as the girls in the room gasped and stared at her in horror while the males gave her an appreciative look.

Aria cut him off by standing up and grabbing her things, "Mr. Lockhart, I will be leaving and will not serve any detention you seek to give me."

Without another word, Aria left the room while mentally groaning at herself. It would seem she'd need to get a better grip on her emotions.

* * *

As she had said, Aria had gone straight to Professor Flitwick. Thankfully, he didn't have a class at the moment and was able to speak with her. Professor Flitwick had been very agreeable though asked her to go through at least one more lesson with Lockhart. If Lockhart didn't meet her standards, Professor Flitwick would tutor her himself. Aria was reluctant, but agreed to give the pompous man another chance. Needless to say, Aria got Professor Flitwick as her defense tutor and was greatly surprised to find that the half-goblin was a master duelist. To say her lessons with Professor Flitwick were fun would be an understatement, the man was a genius when it came to dueling. Not only did they work on DADA, Flitwick taught her how to duel and higher level charms.

* * *

When the first week was up, Aria found herself in the library sitting across from Draco Malfoy. The blonde haired boy took a deep breath as Aria patiently waited for him to speak, "Potter, I have thought it over and believe being a neutral to one another would be the best course of action."

Aria nodded lightly, "I figured as much seeing as what your father did back during the war," Draco stiffened and Aria held up a hand to keep him from speaking, "I understand that due to his actions, an alliance with me would be a bad idea. I do not doubt you might be ostracized by the house-mates that follow their parents thinking. So being neutral to one another is the best course of action."

Draco had relaxed and nodded to her words, "I will assist you in learn about our culture seeing as it's clear you do not know much."

"My thanks," Aria inclined her head to him, "In exchange, I am willing to offer assistance in any classes you need help in. I do not have much more to offer as I doubt you wish to learn about the non-magical world,"

"That is agreeable," Draco held out his hand and Aria shook it, "I hope that in the future our neutrality can give way to friendship even if it only behind closed doors,"

"As do I," Aria smiled slightly, "Would you like to join me, Malfoy? I understand that the charms homework Professor Flitwick set for everyone was particularly frustrating,"

"If it wouldn't be any trouble," The boy replied and picked up his bag to set on the table.

Aria continued to smile lightly as she began to help him with his homework.

* * *

Once more, Aria skipped both her classes and the feast on Halloween. It was the whole reason that Aria heard the hissing voice, " _Rip, shred, blood, I need to kill."_

Carefully shifting her journal into her bag, Aria headed out of the abandoned classroom she had been using. Following the sound of the voice, Aria soon found herself walking through puddles of water. She frowned lightly as she soon made it to the flooded girls bathroom. Aria eye's narrowed as soon as she caught sight of the cat. It wasn't dead, but it didn't smell right. The scent of a snake wafted through the air and came from the bathroom. What took her attention was the writing on the wall. It wasn't blood as most would believe, but a rather crudely made red paint. Hearing footsteps, Aria quickly left the area and headed up to her dorm through use of the hidden passageways. Aria could only wonder about what happened to the cat and why the scent of a snake was coming from the bathroom.

* * *

Aria wasn't even remotely surprised when the headmaster had her pulled into his office. As she had been the only one absent from the feast, Aria was the best suspect they had. Settled down in one of the chairs across from Dumbledore, Aria looked at the headmaster with a raised eyebrow, "Headmaster, is there a reason for taking me out of class? As Professor McGonagall is planning on giving us a test soon, I really doubt missing her lesson is a good idea."

Dumbledore cleared his throat, "Aria my-"

"Please refrain from calling me by my given name," Aria cut him off, "I do not know you, so it makes me feel uncomfortable,"

Dumbledore looked like he wanted to argue, but managed to refrain from doing so, "Miss Potter, It has come to the attention of my staff and I that you were not present at the feast."

"I was in one of the abandoned classrooms," Aria informed him, "You can even ask the nearby portraits,"

"You still missed the feast," Dumbledore replied.

Aria gave him a blank look, "You expect me to go to a feast on the day my parents died? Headmaster, am I not allowed the right to grieve for my parents?"

"No, but you should still be at the feast," Dumbledore informed her.

Aria shook her head, "I will not be present at the Halloween feast, Headmaster. I have seen no rule that requires me to be present, so I do not have to attend."

Dumbledore seemed to take a deep breath as Aria looked towards the rather old looking bird. She knew it was a phoenix which meant that it was likely reaching the end of this stage of it's life and preparing for it's rebirth. Dumbledore spoke after a few seconds, "I feel that you are not connecting with your fellow students."

"I don't feel the need to connect with them," Aria informed him, "I have all the friends I need at this moment and do not require anymore," ]

Aria refrained from looking into his eyes. While Aria still needed to read up on it, she had come across books on mental magics and wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to use them on her. Dumbledore seemed baffled by her words, "I see."

"If that is all, I should return to Professor McGonagall," Aria stood up and began to leave the office, "Even if I missed most of my class, I can still get the needed information from the Professor,"

With that, Aria left Dumbledore's office feeling more than a little annoyed.

* * *

When Aria heard the same voice, Aria took out her invisibility cloak and followed after it. She once again found herself at the same bathroom as before only this time there was no water on the ground. Sniffing the air carefully, Aria noticed the heavy scent of snake. Underneath that, Aria smelt the slightly familiar sent of a magical. While she didn't recognize who the scent belonged to, she did know that whoever it was had caused the past attack. As soon as she heard footsteps, Aria got out her wand and hit the person leaving the bathroom with a stunner. While she still had some trouble with the spell, it was very useful. When Aria saw who had come out of the bathroom, she was very surprised.

Ginny Weasley lay unconscious on the ground holding a black diary. Aria frowned lightly as she bent down near the girl. The twins had talked about Ginny before and from that information, Aria knew that the girl wasn't capable of paralyzing people. Aria glanced down at the black diary in her hands and frowned. She could smell something coming off of it, but didn't recognize the scent. Regardless, something about the diary seemed off leading Aria to believe it was the cause. With that in mind, Aria took the diary from Ginny and put it into her bag. With that, Aria moved away from her and used another spell to wake her up. When Ginny woke up, the girl seemed very confused before becoming worried. Aria listened carefully as the girl whispered, "Oh no, where is it? Where did I drop him?"

The girl got to her feet and began to walk around the area searching. Aria quickly, but quietly moved away with a frown.

* * *

Without knowing what to do, Aria used Setsuko to send the diary to the goblins with a letter explaining what had happened. It took a week, but the goblins sent back a rather smug Setsuko with a letter explaining that the diary had been a soul piece. They thanked her for sending it to them before explaining it would be destroyed as soon as they could use it to find any others in the bank. Any vaults holding them would have a portion of the gold and jewelry put in her vault as payment for the discovery. Aria was pleased that she could help though it did make her wonder if there were anymore like that one inside Hogwarts.

* * *

When the school went to the annual first Quidditch game, Aria gave into her curiosity about the bathroom and headed inside. Thankfully, Moaning Myrtle wasn't inside at the moment and Aria was given some peace. Sniffing the air, Aria made note of where the snake scent was coming from. She looked around the sinks and it was only due to her enhanced eyesight that Aria caught sight of the snake carving in one of the sinks. As she began to examine it, Luna walked in and commented, "Maybe you should try hissing at it."

"Hissing?" Aria asked the blonde with a raised eyebrow.

"You can speak to snakes," Luna replied making Aria snort, "You can, Aria. Can't you remember any snakes being odd or hearing any voices that you could never find the source of?"

Aria opened her mouth to shoot her down only to pause. Back when she was younger and Petunia forced her into doing the gardening, Aria always managed to get the snakes to leave the garden without having to touch them. She remembered a rather memorable incident where the apartment they were using had been infested with snakes. Somehow, the two had never been bitten even when they disturbed the snakes. She also recalled a few incidents where Vernon had tried to abandon her during trips to the park only for Aria to be guided back to Privet Drive by people that she couldn't see. Aria looked back at the sink before asking, "How?"

"Look at the snake and try to tell it to open," Luna replied.

Aria was tempted to argue, but so far, Luna hadn't led her wrong. Granted, she hadn't done much that called for Luna's advice. Taking a deep breath and focusing on the snake, Aria murmured, " _Open."_

To Aria's surprise, the sink began to shake and move along with two others. Soon enough, it revealed a rather large open pipe. Aria glanced at Luna as she moved towards it. Luna glanced down before suggesting, "Ask for stairs?"

Aria cleared her throat and said, "Stairs."

Luna shook her head, "Imagine a snake and try asking again."

Aria closed her eyes and imagined one of the garden snakes she'd seen before. Taking a deep breath, Aria said, " _Stairs_."

Reopening her eyes, Aria watched with Luna as stone stairs appeared. Together, they walked down the steps while hitting the stairs with cleaning charms. They cleaned away the bones at the bottom as well before moving through the tunnel as the stairs disappeared and the pipe closed. With a simple lumos, they headed down the tunnel and soon reached a door with stone snakes. Again, Aria repeated open and the door did as she asked. Luna spoke as they walked, "So this is the chamber of secrets...It's really damp."

"Well, it is underneath the lake and the school," Aria pointed out, "We can't really expect it to be dry down here as spells tend to fail unless they're powered by wards. Given that this is Slytherin's chamber, I doubt he had it connected to the wards,"

"True enough," Luna pointed to the statue, "You want to bet that's where the snake lives?"

Aria glanced at it before snorting, "No bet."

They walked closer to the rather ugly statue and Luna suggested, "Try getting the statue to open it's mouth?"

"What about the snake?" Aria asked Luna, "It's likely bat-shit crazy after being down here for so long,"

"We won't know until we speak with it," Luna pointed out, "In quite a few of the other dimensions, the snake is actually very nice and helpful,"

Aria opened her mouth before sighing. If need be, Aria could kill it using her kagune. Taking a deep breath while envisioning a snake in her mind, Aria spoke, " _Great Snake, I seek an audience with you. Please come out."_

There was a rumble as the statues mouth opened, Aria watched as a serpentine form exited it to fall into the water. The snake rose up and Aria closed her eyes, " _Speaker, why have you come here?"_

 _"Before we speak, I would like some assurance that I won't be petrified by your gaze,"_ Aria replied in the politest tone possible.

The snake let out a light hissing sound, _"You do not have to fear my gaze, Hatchling. I will only use it if I'm required to."_

Aria nodded lightly as she opened her mouth and took in the snake. It was very large and very old with rather pretty green edged black scales. It's eyes were a rather venomous yellow with green around the edges. Aria smiled at the snake, " _I was unsure, Great Snake. I do not know much of your kind."_

 _"Magicals do tend to shy away from basilisks,"_ The basilisk replied, " _Now why have you come here with that other hatchling?"_

 _"I wished to understand why you were summoned before as well as your purpose in this school,"_ Aria replied before flushing lightly, " _I also would like a name and gender to tag onto you. I would rather not be rude,"_

The basilisk let out another hissing laugh, _"My name is Ceres and I am a male, Hatchling. As for who summoned me, it was a female hatchling under the control of an object left by my last master. I do not know what it is other than it contained dark magic. I was attempting to find a way to destroy the object, but it seems gone now. Do I have you to thank for that?"_ Aria nodded, _"You have my thanks. My purpose in this school was to act as a defender for the children against the mundane encase they managed to attack. However, I do not believe I am required any longer."_

 _"The mundanes no longer believe in magic as anything other than fantasy,"_ Aria informed the snake, _"I am curious as to why you were not here to guard the children against Ghouls,"_

 _"Who do you think helped to build Hogwarts?"_ Ceres replied in a confused tone, _"Surely they know that Salazar and Godric were One-eyed ghouls,"_

Aria gaped at the snake in shock, " _No. As far as the English magicals know, ghouls are a myth."_

 _"They do not realize what you are, Hatchling?"_ Ceres asked earning a nod, _"Fools. The Ghouls within Britain and the Magical population were once very close. In fact, they were a brotherhood so to speak. The ghouls acted as protection while the magicals created a potion that would allow ghouls to eat normal food. Salazar and Godric's mothers created that potion together to allow their children to survive and be born,"_

Aria's gasped softly and asked, " _Is there any notes on that potion?"_

 _"Salazar kept his personal notes and such in his study,"_ Ceres turned his head and gestured to the statue before looking to Aria, _"What is your name, Hatchling and the name of your friend?"_

 _"My name is Aria Potter and the girl beside me is Luna Lovegood,"_ Aria looked up at Ceres, " _May I look inside Salazar's study?"_

 _"If you wish,"_ Ceres seemed to smile at her, _"I will be happy to give you a lift,"_

Aria opened her mouth to reply when Luna spoke, "Aria, we need to head back up. The Quidditch game is almost over."

Inwardly cursing, Aria turned to Ceres, " _It seems my friend and I must head back up."_

 _"You are welcome back anytime, Hatchling. I would like to discuss the world as it is now,"_ Ceres replied earning a light nod from Aria, _"Until we see one another again, Aria Potter,"_

With that, Aria and Luna quickly returned to the second floor bathroom. Aria looked at Luna and said, "You were right. He was nice."

"We're exploring next time, right?" Luna asked earning a nod, "I'll write daddy for some extra gear,"

Aria glanced at her before nodding as they left the bathroom and headed towards the tower. Even if they had avoided going down the pipe, they still needed a shower. The first thing Aria planned on doing when she went down again was to clean up. It could use a deep clean.

* * *

In the weeks leading up the Christmas Break, Aria worked hard on deciphering Salazar Slytherin's notes. Apparently, the founder of the snake house had been a paranoid bastard and wrote everything in the written version of parseltongue, parselsript. Even if Aria could speak to snakes, she still had to learn how to read the written language. It was like learning Japanese all over again, but a bit easier. Thankfully, Aria managed to decipher Salazar's notes on the potion that Ceres had spoken about. For Christmas, Aria had vowed to make the potion for Uta if only so he could finally understand her love of chocolate. Thankfully for her, Ceres knew exactly how the potion should look through all the stages of brewing, so Aria managed to create a viable potion by the week before Christmas break. Because of this, Aria signed up to leave for break.

* * *

Aria smiled at Ceres as she stocked the box she'd be giving to Uta for Christmas, " _Thank you for your help._ "

" _It is no problem, Hatchling_ ," Ceres assured her as she closed the box and placed it into her bag along with the book containing Salazar's notes on the potion, " _It was a pleasure to assist you,"_

Aria picked up her bag and settled it into it's place, _"Still, I can't thank you enough. I wish there was something I could do for you."_

Ceres was quiet for a few seconds as Aria approached him and rubbed her fingers along his face scales, " _I will admit being in this chamber is rather boring. Salazar always made things interesting especially when Godric was involved."_

 _"I wish there was a way to take you with me,"_ Aria murmured softly, " _You could see the world and meet Uta. He's really curious about you,"_

Ceres hummed lightly which was a very odd sound coming from a snake, " _Perhaps..."_

Ceres moved away from her as Aria asked, " _Ceres, what's going on?"_

The basilisk didn't answer as it began to glow lightly. Aria watched in shock as the gigantic snake shrunk until it was barely the size of a garter snake. Ceres approached her and hissed, _"I almost forgot about this ability."_

Aria bent down and allowed the snake to slither up her arm to wrap around her neck, _"Will you be fine like this?"_

 _"Yes, Hatchling,"_ Ceres replied as Aria started to head for the entrance to the chamber, _"It has been a very long time since I've gotten to view the world outside of Hogwarts. I am looking forward to it,"_

Aria smiled as she felt his tongue brush her cheek, _"Try to stay hidden, Ceres. I don't want anyone seeing you."_

 _"I will stay hidden,"_ The shrunken basilisk replied.

* * *

Aria walked with the other students to the carriages and settled beside Luna. Unfortunately, Hermione had managed to grab a seat with them. Aria looked at Luna as the blonde said, "Daddy's so happy you'll be staying with us this Christmas."

"I'm happy too," Aria ignored the look Hermione was giving her.

Draco entered the carriage at the last minute, "Potter, Lovegood."

"Malfoy," They replied.

"I was a bit surprised to hear you were leaving Hogwarts for Christmas break," The blonde said as the carriage began to move.

"You should come see me," Hermione burst out.

"I have no intent of doing that, Granger," Aria replied before looking towards Draco, "The Lovegood family was gracious enough to offer me a place to stay,"

Draco nodded as if expecting that, "It is good that you'll be spending Christmas with a magical family."

Aria opened her mouth to say something when Hermione spoke up, "Why?"

"Because, Granger," Draco spat Hermione's last name out like a curse, "She will get to celebrate Yule like most civilized wizards and witches,"

Aria quickly engaged Draco in a conversation about the differences between Yule and Christmas. While she didn't mind hearing the boy tear into Hermione, Aria really didn't want a headache. While she would be staying at Luna's house for a few days while the goblins got everything set up for her trip to Japan, Aria was still excited about spending Christmas with Uta.

* * *

Luna's Father opened the door to the Lovegood home, "Aria, I must admit it was surprising to hear that you wished to stay a few days with us."

"My arrangements for the rest of my break need time to be set up," Aria replied in a light tone.

"Of course," Xenophilius replied, "I'll leave you two girls to get everything set up. I need to take care of somethings,"

"No problem," Aria and Luna chorused.

Aria walked past Xenophilius before pausing and turning to him. She bowed lightly, "Thank you for having me."

He bowed in return with an amused smile on his face, "It truly is no trouble."

 **Okay so that's it for now. I will be writing a short Christmas chapter. Now, Second year is longer in chapter length than I planned, so I split it up into two. I hope you guys like it, so please review. Next chapter may not come until Sunday as I want to Update Of Magic and Flames as well as my one-shots. I hope to see you guys again.**

 **Love, Lunarwolf.**

 **P.S: Love how popular this story is with you guys. I love you guys so much and hope to get some more reviews. Any suggestions or ideas you have are welcome!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **Before you start to read, I have one thing to say. While it didn't happen on this story, I feel the need to give a small warning:**

 **I will update when I choose to. If you decide to be pushy, I probably won't update. Let me update at my own pace as sometimes it's hard to find time to write or hard to find inspiration when you've had a particularly shitty day. Be Patient with this author.**

 **Thank you, let's get onto the story.**

* * *

Aria ran her fingers along the ridges of Ceres's scales as she sat on the roof of the Lovegood's house, " _Ceres, what's the difference between male and female basilisk?_ "

Ceres hissed softly in thought, _"It mostly depends on the subspecies. My subspecies is the North Basilisk. Females of my species have scales that resemble emeralds while males tend to have scales that resemble obsidian. Males of my species have a smaller number of fangs though we make up for it by having a far more potent than females. We are smaller than the females, but make up for it with our speed and higher ability to control our gazes. Females also tend to be a bit less intelligent as they merely care for having a comfortable nest, prey, and a good territory. Males also tend to have a pattern to their scales which is used to entice females when it comes to mating season."_

Aria hummed softly, " _That is very interesting, Ceres."_

 _"Is something wrong, Hatchling?"_ Ceres asked her, _"I doubt you came up here just to ask me about the differences between male and female basilisk."_

Aria reached into her bag and withdrew the book she'd been reading, " _I've taken a better look at this since we've been here since Luna and her father have a lot of things to do for their preparations."_

" _And something has displeased you?"_ Ceres looked at the book curiously.

Aria turned to the chapter she'd been reading and began to read aloud:

 _The Feeding potion is a great invention of Godric and I's mothers for without it we would not be here. However, for all the great things it has done, I have discovered problems with the potion. Not only are the ingredients getting harder to find, I find that the potion does not work as often for the pure-blooded ghouls as it does for the one-eyed ones. From my studies, I have deduced that the potion will only work on pure-blooded ghouls for a short while before becoming ineffective. For whatever reason, the pure-blooded ghouls' bodies become resistant to the potion. I will continue to search for why, but I fear that I will not find the answer in my life time. My suggestion to any brewing this potion is to save it for important events and space those events out as much as possible otherwise, the recipient will no longer be able to use it._

Aria looked at Ceres, _"See? I want Uta to be able to enjoy human food, but the potion..."_

 _"So? I am sure your Uta will be touched the by present regardless,"_ Ceres assured her, _"This potion was mainly created in the hope of ensuring that human females could have children if their other half were a ghoul. I'm sure that if you work hard enough and read through Salazar's notes, you could create a viable potion,"_

Aria sighed softly, " _True, but still..._ "

 _"Hatchling, you must remember that the world is as it is for a reason,"_ Ceres looked up at her, _"Ghouls need human flesh to sustain themselves just as humans need plants and other things to do the same. Vampires need blood and while they have blood pops, they still require blood from a donor,"_

 _"I guess, you're right,"_ Aria shut the book and returned it to her bag, _"I may not like it, but I can't change the natural order of things,"_

 _"Now get some sleep, Hatchling,"_ Ceres ordered as he wrapped himself around her neck, " _You need to rest. We will be seeing the goblins soon enough,"_

Aria nodded with a soft yawn as she got up and headed back inside.

* * *

Dumbledore looked at the man before him, "And she is with the Lovegood family?"

"Yes," The man, a rather plain look man replied, "She's been sticking with those two,"

"Good," Dumbledore smiled at the man, "Thank you, Rick,"

"No problem, Headmaster," Rick replied with a grin, "Watching over our savior is a pleasure. I'm going to head home,"

"Enjoy your holidays," Dumbledore replied as his eyes twinkled.

"You as well," And with that, Rick left through the floo.

Dumbledore lost his smile and scowled, "So she is staying with the Lovegoods."

"At the very least, the brat won't be causing any trouble," Snape replied as he took off the invisibility spell he was using.

"True, the Lovegoods aren't a dark family, so I do not have to worry about them taking control of her," Dumbledore leaned back against his seat, "At the very least, I can place my full attentions on getting everything ready for summer,"

Snape gained a dark look on his face as he spat, "Must you really bring him into this?"

Dumbledore sighed lightly and gave Snape a disappointed look, "We need a way to bring Aria Potter to heel."

"Surely the Weasleys would be enough," Snape argued with a scowl.

Dumbledore shook his head, "As much as I wish they were, I only have Molly, Percy, Ronald, and Ginny in on my plans. With Aria's rather aggressive stance when it comes to Ronald, I cannot risk any 'accidents' occurring before Ron can get control of Aria."

"Headmaster, I protest this," Snape growled.

"I understand your quarrels with him, but he is just what we need to bring Aria to heel," Dumbledore looked at Snape, "Severus, it must be done regardless of anyone's feelings,"

Snape glared at Dumbledore, but said nothing in reply. The old Headmaster was set on his plans.

* * *

When it came time to see the goblins, Luna was reluctant to let Aria go. Aria almost rolled her eyes, but held back the urge, "Luna, I will see you before you know it. I am staying with you guys again two days before we have to head back to school."

"Still," Luna was pouting at her, "I don't want you to miss Yule,"

"I'll celebrate it some other year," Aria assured the blonde, "I really want to spend time with Uta. Not to mention, I haven't seen him since school started,"

Xenophilius managed to get Luna to let go, "Come, Dear one. Let Aria go and spend time with your friend, we have preparations to make and a yule log to make."

Aria gave him a thankful nod and followed her amused account manager to the magical doorway room. Her account manager, Rippleclaw, chuckled, "I see you've found some allies since you were last with us."

"As much as I might deny it, Luna is my friend rather than an ally," Aria replied while shifting her things lightly, "You'll ensure that any presents being sent to me are checked for potions and the like?"

"Of course," Rippleclaw sounded just a bit insulted.

"It's not that I doubt your skills, but I just wish to make certain of it," Aria soothed earning a slight nod from Rippleclaw, "You have my thanks for this,"

"It is an honor to help our soon-to-be contact with the ghouls," Rippleclaw replied in a formal tone.

Aria inclined her head and entered the room as soon as they reached it. She walked through the stone door. Thankfully for times sake, Aria managed to arrive at the Tokyo branch. She immediatly made a bee-line for the train station.

* * *

When she finally arrived at the train station, Uta was waiting for her. Aria jumped on him, "Uta!"

"Aria," He hugged her lightly before pulling her away from the station, "Let's go,"

Laughing softly, Aria allowed him to pull her and was happy to find herself back in their hide out. She got rid of her stuff save for the box containing the vials and Ceres. Uta ignored the box and focused on the deadly snake currently coiled around his best-friends neck like a demented necklace, "This is the basilisk?"

"Ceres," Aria corrected, "He shrunk himself down so as to not get any attention,"

"Ah," Uta eyed the snake, "He can understand us?"

"Fully though he is unable to speak like a human can," Aria reached up and gently uncoiled Ceres from around her neck before placing the snake onto the coffee table along with the vials, "He's highly intelligent,"

Ceres hissed lightly at Uta, _"It is a pleasure to meet the Hatchling's best-friend."_

Aria translated and Uta nodded as he sat down, "You won't hurt either of us?"

Before Aria could tell Uta he had nothing to fear, Ceres let out a soft laugh, _"You have nothing to fear. Serpents will never harm a speaker nor any that the speaker cares for."_

Aria translated earning a nod from Uta, "Alright."

"That's all you have to say?" Aria asked earning a shrug from Uta.

Rather than push him, Aria picked up the box as Ceres hissed, _"I will go explore and see if I can't find some vermin to state my hunger."_

Uta looked at her and Aria said, "He's going to explore and hunt for food."

"Aren't snakes cold-blooded?" Uta asked while finally looking at the box.

"They are, but Salazar Slytherin experimented on Ceres to ensure he could survive," Aria told him, "From what Ceres told me, Northern Basilisks aren't as vulnerable to the cold, but still need to hibernate,"

Uta nodded before taking the box from Aria, "And this has the potion?"

"The batch I made only had enough for ten vials," Aria smiled sheepishly, "I'm really sorry that I couldn't find a potion that would work all the time,"

"It's fine," Uta put down the box and hugged her, "Thank you,"

Aria returned the hug and leaned into Uta with a soft sigh. One day, she would find a way for ghouls to enjoy human food. It would have to wait until she figured out how to tattoo ghouls, but she would figure it out. She swore it.

* * *

On Christmas Day, Aria made breakfast for both herself and Uta. With Ceres guiding her, Aria only used two vials of the potion while making Uta's side of the food. Uta would be getting his first taste of pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash-browns. Aria also made a chocolate cake for them both to enjoy which is why it took two vials of the potion. When Uta woke up, he entered the kitchen and looked at the food she made while gently sniffing the air, "It actually smells good."

"Take a seat and we can start to eat," Aria told him as she settled the last plate onto the table, "We'll be eating cake later,"

Uta nodded while walking over to the scarcely used kitchen table and picked up the eating utensils. Since joining up with him, Aria had taught Uta how to use western utensils while saying that if she had use learn how to use chop-sticks, he had to learn how to use forks, knives, and spoons. As suck, Uta didn't have much of a problem using the fork and knife to eat his breakfast. Upon getting his first taste of it, Uta paused with slightly wide eyes while looking up at Aria. Aria looked at him nervously and Uta swallowed before saying, "This tastes really good."

"Glad you like it," Aria replied with a large grin, "I'm sure you'll love chocolate cake even more,"

Uta smiled lightly and began eating in earnest. Even if he really wanted to stuff it all in his mouth, he knew that wouldn't be good for his stomach. Uta also wanted to savor his first taste of human food. Uta glanced at Aria as she ate her food and flipped through a book on magical tattooing. He need to properly thank her for doing this as well as ensure she knows just how good her cooking was. Mentally grinning as he began to cycle through his options, Uta continued to watch his best-friend eat and read.

* * *

Aria was going through the Christmas gifts she'd been sent when Uta walked through the front door. She turned to say something only to pause at the sight of Uta. Uta was carrying a rather clumsily wrapped gift as well as a pet-carrying case. Aria put down the gift she'd been opening, "Uta, what is all that?"

Uta set both down on the coffee table, "You gave me something priceless that any ghoul looking to fit into society would kill for," He flushed lightly, "I know that I'm not the best with words, but please bear with me. I know that I cause so much trouble that you probably want to throttle me. I know that I'll probably cause even more trouble in the future once I become the ward moderator, but you'll stick with me regardless," He looked so sweet and un-Uta-like that Aria was shocked into silence, "You gave me a way to eat human food even if it can only be used sparingly. I know we don't celebrate Christmas, but since you gave me a really good present, I felt the need to get you something. It probably won't be as good as-"

"Uta," Aria cut him off with a warm smile and held out her arms, "Just shut up and come hug me, you goof," Uta did as she asked, "You didn't need to get me anything. I would've been fine with that," Uta made a move to protest and Aria just hugged him harder, "Thank you, U, and merry Christmas,"

"Merry Christmas," Uta let go and Aria released him, "Open them,"

Aria grabbed the wrapped gift first and looked at the sketchpad he'd given her, "A new sketchpad?"

"I saw that you needed a new one not to mention, you needed some new drawing tools," Uta replied in a light tone, "So I got you them,"

Aria smiled lightly and hugged him again before picking up the pet carrier, "And this?"

"I know that you have Ceres and Setsuko, but neither of them are a pet," Uta gestured to the pet carrier, "I figured you could use one to keep you company,"

Aria opened the pet carrier and found a tiny kitten inside. She gently coaxed it out and let out a soft awing sound when it came out. The kitten had pretty blue eyes that reminded her of Uta's human ones and dark brown almost black fur. Around the edges of it's ears, tail, paws, and nose, the kitten had red fur. The best part was that the kitten had two red circles on it's sides and a red dot on the middle of it's forehead. Aria checked the kittens gender and found it to be male, "He's so cute. Where did you find him?"

"I found him wandering around just outside the magical alley," Uta told her earning a surprised look, "Everyone else was ignoring him,"

"Idiots," Aria grumbled softly.

The kitten let out a little mew and curled up in Aria's lap. Uta smiled lightly, "What will you name him?"

Aria hummed lightly as she gently ran her fingers along the tiny kitten's back, "I think Kibou is fitting."

Uta shrugged, "Your kitten, your name. We'll have to get him food and stuff."

"I'll need to write Hogwarts and see about being able to bring this little guy unless you want him to stay with you," Aria looked at him, "You could use someone else around when I'm not here,"

Uta was going to protest, but saw the look of worry in her eyes. He mentally sighed before saying, "If you can't bring him with you to Hogwarts, I'll keep him here with me."

Aria nodded lightly before looking at the rest of her presents, "Mind helping me go through this stuff?"

"No problem," Uta said while reaching out to do just that.

* * *

Fortunately for Aria's worry, Professor Flitwick had informed her that she couldn't bring Kibou with her. As a result, Uta found himself with an animal companion for the months where Aria was gone. Uta couldn't find it into himself to be displeased since Aria was so happy. While she loved her pet, she loved the fact that Uta wouldn't be completely alone when she was gone.

* * *

When it was time for Aria to leave, Uta wasn't the only one that wanted her to stay. Kibou, the very intelligent and cute kitten, had joined Uta in holding Aria down while attempting to convince her to stay. Aria was heavily tempted to succumb to the fifteen year old ghoul and the kitten's manipulation, but in the end she forced herself to stay strong. Uta was pouting and not even the last piece of chocolate cake could make him stop. The picture was made completely adorable by Kibou laying on Uta's head with what could only be a kitten's frown on his face. Aria managed to sneak a picture while feeling thankful that Luna had gifted her a magical camera. Once she had a picture of the duo, Aria worked on cheering them up.

* * *

Aria flopped onto the second bed that was in Luna's bedroom and groaned, "I want to go back."

"Finish out Hogwarts and they won't be able to drag you back," Luna replied while cooing over the pictures Aria had managed to take, "They're completely adorable together,"

Aria burrowed her face into the bed sheets and hoped that summer got here fast. She was already home-sick.

 **Well, I told you the chapter would be short. How did you like it?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **As always:**

 **If you do not like how this story is written or have a problem with the plot:**

 **I must politely request you stop reading and go read something else. If that doesn't work, please go fuck yourselves and leave me alone.**

* * *

Not even two days after Hogwarts began the second half of the year, Aria was called up to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore was not in his office at the moment, so Aria didn't sit down immediatly. She walked over to the phoenix which had begun it's cycle of rebirth. She smiled softly at the little chick and reached out to gently run her fingers along it's super soft downy feathers. The chick cooed at her and nuzzled into her fingers earning a soft laugh from Aria. She heard footsteps coming up the stairs and moved to take a seat. The chick let out a disappointed coo and Aria murmured, "Sorry, Beautiful. I have business with Dumbledore. If I didn't, I would definitely pay more attention to you."

Dumbledore entered the room moments later, "Ah, Aria-"

"Please don't call me that," Aria cut him off with a frown, "I feel very uncomfortable when you do,"

Dumbledore lost his smile for a few seconds before replying, "Of course," He took a seat at his desk and gestured to the candy dish on his desk, "Lemon Drop?"

"I prefer chocolates," Aria replied with a grimace, "Headmaster, I would rather not beat around the bush. Can you please tell me why you called me here?"

Dumbledore coughed lightly, "Of course, you probably have homework that needs to be done," Dumbledore took a lemon drop and popped it into his mouth before saying, "I would like to know where you were during the last summer."

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Aria replied while scowling, "If it was, you would have asked me earlier in the year. Especially after our first week back,"

Dumbledore frowned at her, "Ms. Potter as Headmaster of this fine school, I am required to know where my charges are during the summe-"

"No you're not," Aria took out the rule book she'd been reading just encase he tried something, "No where in the rules did it say that the headmaster is required to know where his students are during the summer. The only time it is required is when the student has not made it to school within the first week baring medical/family emergencies As I returned to the school on the same day as everyone else, I am not required to tell you anything about my summer,"

Dumbledore looked at her over his half-moon spectacles, "Ms. Potter, as your magical guardian-"

"You are not a proper magical guardian as you never checked up on my living situation," Aria cut him off with feeling glad that the goblins had had the foresight to inform her of this, "As a result, your magical guardian status for me has been revoked. Until a proper magical guardian has been found, I have Xenophilius Lovegood as my temporary magical guardian,"

Dumbledore's eyes widened, "When did that occur? I did not get an owl."

"The goblins have sent out an owl and it should be arriving soon enough," Aria sat up, "As of the last day of break, Xenophilius became my magical guardian. Now, if you have no more questions, I must be going. As you said, I have homework to do,"

Aria began to stand up only to freeze as Dumbledore said, "Actually, Ms. Potter. I do have something to discuss with you."

Sitting back down slowly, Aria asked, "And what is it you wish to discuss with me?"

"As you've no doubt read, all students are required to attend at least three DADA classes before looking elsewhere," Dumbledore replied in a light tone, "As you've only gone through two, you are required to show up to Professor Lockhart's class during your next Defense class,"

Aria's eyes narrowed at him, but she took a deep breath and inclined her head, "Of course, I suppose I must. Headmaster."

With that, Aria got up and left the room while swearing under her breath.

* * *

It was with great reluctance she followed her fellow Ravens into Lockhart's classroom. Aria sat down and noticed that her fellow Ravens were crowding the back. The Hufflepuff students entered moments later and most groaned upon finding the Raven's sitting in the back. Aria looked at her fellow students and asked, "What happened here?"

"Lockhart is a horrible Professor," Susan Bones groaned.

"He wrote so many cool adventures," Terry Boot was frowning, "And they seemed factual, but Lockhart hasn't taught us anything. If it weren't for the upper years, we would probably fail this year,"

"I don't understand what your problem is," Hannah Abbot scoffed from her place in the front row, "He's brilliant,"

Aria looked at her fellow students before asking, "If he isn't a good teacher, why haven't you guys gone to your heads of houses? I don't know about Professor Sprout, but Professor Flitwick would do something."

"Professor Flitwick has tried, but he can't get Headmaster Dumbledore to do anything," Anthony Goldstein added.

"Professor Sprout has as well," Ernie Macmillan added with a slight scowl, "I heard from Neville Longbottom that Professor McGonagall has tried as well,"

Aria frowned slightly, "If Dumbledore hasn't done anything despite a majority of the head's of houses complaining, someone will have to go over his head. I highly doubt the Board of Governors would approve of Lockhart's 'teachings' and Dumbledore's inaction," Aria saw the contemplative looks on their faces, "Get the other students in on this, they won't be able to ignore multiple complaints. Even if a majority won't do it, the fifth and seventh years will since this is their test year. You guys should also owl your parents or guardians. They won't let you be under educated especially when it comes to defense."

Before any more conversation could be had, Lockhart arrived in a swirl of magenta robes. Rather than pay attention, Aria began imagining the various ways she could kill Dumbledore. Considering she was a half-ghoul and best-friends with Uta, she had quite a big pool of ideas to work with.

* * *

Within a month, the Board of Governors sent someone from the Educational department in the ministry to watch Lockhart. Not even a day later, Lockhart found himself fired and Dumbledore found himself in the hot seat for hiring the fraud. Not even an hour after Lockhart was gone, the hospital wing was flooded with various students that had served detentions with Lockhart. Apparently, the man wasn't just a fraud, but a pedophile. Aria could only smirk and watch Dumbledore attempt to salvage his reputation with a smirk.

* * *

It was dinnertime when the great hall was flooded with owls bearing a special addition of the Daily Profit. Rather than pay attention to it, Aria began to eat her dinner while reading a book on runes that she had gotten from the library on Professor Flitwick's recommendation. Aria was disturbed from her reading and food when a cough sounded behind her. Glancing back, Aria noticed that Professor Flitwick was standing there, "Professor, is there something wrong?"

"Ms. Potter, please follow me," Professor Flitwick looked fairly serious, "Something has come up and I'm afraid it involves you,"

Aria had never been lied to by her head of house, so she nodded and got up, "Of course, I hope I'll be able to finish dinner once we deal with whatever this is."

"Of course," Professor Flitwick replied while leading the way out of the hall.

Aria tried to ignore the amount of stares burning into her back and the whispers of, "Sirius Black."

Soon enough, Aria found herself in Professor McGonagall's office. The Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor was oddly grim as she greeted Aria, "Ms. Potter, I'm happy to see you in good spirits despite the situation."

"Professor McGonagall, I am fairly confused as to why I was called up here," Aria informed the Professor with a frown as she took the offered seat.

Professor McGonagall looked slightly surprised, "Did you not read the paper?"

"I have no interest in the news," Aria informed her, "I'm more interested in reading books on subjects that interest me or doing some homework while I'm eating,"

Professor Flitwick conjured himself a chair while saying, "Aria, what do you know about your parents aside from what I've told you?"

Aria looked at him, "Seeing as my relatives despised my parents and my aunt hated my mother, I was only told lies when it came to the people you knew," Aria frowned slightly, "I only know what I've been told by those that have offered some information. I know that they were in Gryffindor under Professor McGonagall and what their wands were."

Professor McGonagall growled underneath her breath, "I knew he was wrong to leave you there. I knew it and told him, but he couldn't listen to me," Aria looked at the Professor sharply upon hearing those words, "Ms. Potter, your parents were some of the best students I have ever had. While having favorites is considered bad when it comes to the heads of houses, I can say quite clearly that they were my favorites," Professor McGonagall was fiddling with an album, "I was hoping to share this with you during your last year, but it seems that I might have to do so earlier."

Aria nodded lightly while looking between her Professors, "While I am happy to know you'll give me a better understanding of my parents, you're not being clear. I don't want to sound disrespectful, but please cut to the chase."

Professor Flitwick chuckled softly, "I told you she was just like Lily, Minerva," Professor Flitwick's smile dropped, "Aria, do you remember when I talk about your father's friends?"

"The pranking group he was a part of, right?" Aria asked earning a nod, "I assume this has to do with one of those friends?"

Professor Flitwick nodded sadly, "Among your father's best-friends, one of them was his brother in all-but blood. He was completely loyal to your family and loved you deeply. He's your godfather after all."

Aria frowned at him, "If he's my godfather, he should have been the one to take care of me."

"Since that dreadful Halloween Night, he was thought to be your parents betrayer and the one that killed thirteen muggles," Professor McGonagall spoke up, "As of this evening, Sirius Black has been found not-guilty,"

"And what does that have to do with me?" Aria asked as her frown deepened, "I understand that he was close to my parents and all. I also understand that he was in prison, but I can't understand why that involves me,"

The Professor's exchanged a look before Professor Flitwick informed her, "Sirius Black will be looking to meet with you and become your magical guardian as is his right as your godfather."

Aria shook her head, "Professors, I understand that this man is my godfather, but he will not be my magical guardian. As he spent the majority of my life in prison, I do not see how the man will be able to properly function let alone take care of me. Until he can prove that he is of sound mind and body, the goblins will not be allowing him to take up the position of my magical guardian. At the current moment, Xenophilius Lovegood is more than enough."

The two Professors looked at one another before Professor Flitwick nodded, "Of course, I assume you're not really bothered by this revelation?"

"Not really," Aria replied with a shrug, "I do not know the man, so I can't really feel anything towards him," Aria stood up slowly, "Professors as I didn't get to finish my dinner, I am still hungry,"

"I'll take you to the kitchens," Professor Flitwick stood up as well.

Aria walked towards the door only to pause, "Professor McGonagall, I would love to hear more about my parents. If you have time, I would love to talk with you."

"Of course, Ms. Potter," Professor McGonagall smiled slightly at her and Aria returned it.

* * *

A week before Exams saw Aria being pulled out of class and into a classroom. Xenophilius Lovegood was there, "How are you, Aria?"

"Confused, but good," Aria smiled at the man, "Luna will probably want to see you if you've got time. She could use a little break from studying,"

"I'll see her after we're done," Xenophilius replied with a warm smile, "I will have to say that I didn't want to disrupt your studying, but Black has managed to push through a request to see you,"

"Ah," Aria lost her smile, "I assume that the goblins are using this to judge how good of a magical guardian he will be?"

"Alongside some officials from the Ministry," Xenophilius laid a hand on her shoulder, "Everything will be alright, Aria,"

Aria nodded and took a seat alongside the blonde man. A man with long black hair, a trimmed black beard, and grey eyes entered the room followed by two aurors. The man grinned upon seeing her, "Pup! You look so much like your parents, but," He frowned as he noticed her eyes, "What happened to Lily's eyes?"

Aria frowned at the man, "I was in a car accident and required serious medical attention in the form of organ transplants. My magic got involved and my eyes were changed as a result."

"Mr. Black," Xenophilius spoke in a light tone, "Please sit down,"

Sirius Black scowled at Xenophilius, "Why are you here?"

"As her current magical guardian, I'm required to be here," Xenophilius replied in the same light tone though Aria could tell it was strained, "You will be allowed to spend some time alone with Aria as soon as she says she ready for that,"

Sirius scowled, "I see," Sirius looked at Aria, "Pup, why don't you tell the blonde to scram so we can have some godfather and goddaughter bonding time."

"As I do not know you, I would rather not," Aria replied while eyeing the man, "Please don't be offended, Mr. Black, but I do not know you. I don't want to be in a room alone with an adult male that I do not know,"

Sirius looked like he wanted to argue, but settled down after a glance towards the aurors watching him. He swallowed, "A-alright. Well, what do you want to know, Pup?"

"What happened that night?" Aria asked him, "Why was I raised by my relatives rather than you?"

Sirius swallowed and rubbed the back of his neck, "I went to go check on Peter since he hadn't been looking right the last few times I saw him. When I saw his apartment, I knew I had to go check on you. I got to your house and saw the damage before heading inside. I was the one to take you out of the wreckage."

Aria's frown deepened, "From what Hagrid has told me, he was the one to take me to the Dursleys. How did that happen?"

"I handed you to him," Sirius informed her, "I knew that I needed to find to Peter, so I gave you to Hagrid,"

"And you went after this 'Peter' because he's the one that betrayed my parents?" Aria asked earning a nod and scowled at the man, "Why didn't you go to the police? They would have been better equipped to find him and you wouldn't have spent the majority of my life in prison," Aria shook her head at him, "As far as I'm concerned, you are not fit to be my godfather,"

"Pu-" Sirius tried to speak.

Aria cut him off, "Don't even try it, I won't hear your excuses. If you had actually cared about me, you wouldn't have let revenge cloud your judgement. You would have taken me to the magical hospital and made sure that I was alright before heading to the aurors," Aria gave him a disgusted look, "As far I'm concerned, you are nothing to me. I don't care about how close you were to my father or my mother. I don't care about your history with them."

With that, Aria stood up and walked right out of the room.

* * *

When they were finally on the way back to London, Aria was glad. The year had been somewhat exciting, but this summer was going to be even better. She would be with Uta and they would continue getting stronger. Setsuko would be staying with Luna as the snowy owl had taken a shine to the blonde. Aria looked at Luna, "Luna, will I be alright going to Japan?"

"Dumbledore will try to track you down, but the goblins' wards will keep him from being able to," Luna looked up from the journal she was writing in, "I'm sure the goblins have a better one for you,"

Aria nodded while taking out her sketchpad, "Good."

Luna smiled lightly, "Have you decided which classes you'll be taking next year?"

Nodding, Aria said, "Runes and Care. Runes because I'll be able to use them to create something that will allow me to tattoo ghouls. Care because it's interesting and I'll be able to meet all kinds of magical creatures. It will give me ideas for things I can tattoo."

Luna giggled and returned her attention to the journal in her hands. Aria began to sketch Ceres as the basilisk in question took a nap on her shoulders. About two hours into the ride, Draco entered the compartment, "Potter."

"Draco, please call me Aria," Aria looked at the blonde with a light smile, "We've known each other since the school year began, so I think it's about time we call each other our given names,"

Draco nodded, "As you wish, Aria. I was hoping to hear about your summer plans."

"I'll traveling with Luna and her father," Aria informed the blonde boy, "I heard we're going to Norway or was it China?"

"China this year and Norway next year," Luna corrected her.

"I see," Draco glanced at Luna before looking back at Aria, "I was hoping to invite you over this summer,"

Aria offered the boy an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Draco. Summers are very busy for me."

"It's fine," Draco tried not to look disappointed, "Have a good summer, Aria,"

"You as well," Aria called out as he left and she looked at Luna, "I wonder what's up with him,"

Luna giggled softly, "He's a boy that's soon to be a thirteen year old. I think he finds you cute."

Aria blinked and shook her head, "Draco doesn't think I'm cute, Luna."

Luna just continued to giggle and Aria returned her attention to the drawing. She had better things to do than pay attention to giggling seers.

 **Well, this chapter was a bit shorter than expected, but I guess that's the way it goes. I'll be updating again soon.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **Okay, I just wanted to say that Thursday is coming up fast. This will be the last update until next week unless major inspiration hits. Now, if you don't like this story, don't read. Any insulting reviews or flames will be ignored.**

* * *

Aria had just walked out of the magical alley in Tokyo when someone grabbed her. Just as Aria whirled around while planting a foot into the stomach of whoever had grabbed her, she gasped upon seeing Uta holding his stomach, "Uta!"

"You hit hard," Uta grimaced slightly.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Aria made her way over to him.

Uta rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I wanted to see how you would react."

Aria rolled her eyes, "You're such a dork."

Uta stood up straighter and said, "Let's get your stuff settled."

* * *

Aria looked at the girl currently tied up in the living room of their apartment, "U? What the actual fuck?"

"She tried to steal your stuff," Uta answered as Aria looked at the girl.

"And you tied her up because?" Aria asked him while moving towards their room to put her things away before she dealt with the situation.

Uta followed after her, "She's a ghoul and you haven't eaten any since you returned to England."

Aria paused for a few seconds, "You want me to eat her?"

"Yes," Uta replied earning a squeak of fear from the girl currently tied up in their living room.

Aria set her things down and turned towards him, "Has she tried to kill you or attack us?"

Uta looked at her blankly, "No."

Aria was slightly surprised to see that his eyes were slowly starting to turn the crimson red and black of their kakugan. She pushed her surprise back as she strode into the living room and bent down by the girl, "Has she done anything other than try to steal from me?"

"No," Uta's head tilted lightly to the side, "Why?"

"Unless she's tried to actively harm either of us or betray our location to the more powerful ghouls, I don't see the need to kill her," Aria carefully began to untie the girl, "Since she tried to steal, I highly doubt she's strong,"

"So no eating her?" Uta sat down on the couch.

"No eating her," Aria finished untying the girl and watched her rub at her wrists.

Uta shrugged lightly, "Okay."

Aria looked at the girl, "Are you hungry?"

She hesitated for a few seconds before nodding with a look of confusion on her face. Aria stood up and pulled the girl to follow her. Walking over to the fridge, Aria opened it and pulled out one of the packages containing human meat. She handed it to the girl and took her out of the apartment as Uta called out, "Don't die."

Aria led the way outside and opened the door before directing the girl to go. The girl looked at her in surprise before speaking in a timid voice, "Y-you're just letting me go?"

Aria hummed lightly, "Yeah. Since you didn't succeed in stealing from me, I don't see the point in keeping you here."

The girl clutched the package of meat to her chest, "And you're just giving this to me?"

"No one deserves to starve," Aria shrugged lightly while leaning back against the door, "I know what it feels like and so does Uta,"

The girl shivered slightly, "H-he's scary."

Aria snorted softly, "Uta may be a bit insane, but he isn't scary."

"He wanted you to eat me," The girl murmured softly.

"So?" Aria asked her with a raised eyebrow, "Cannibalism is a thing here in the fourth ward,"

The girl looked at her, "Why? Why let me go and give me food?"

Aria sighed softly, "Like I said, no one deserves to go hungry and I don't see the point in keeping you here. Just don't try to steal from us again, alright?"

The girl looked suspicious, but nodded, "A-alright."

Aria patted her head, "Go before Uta decides to make a meal out of you regardless."

The girl squeaked and took off only to stop. Aria was about to close the door, but was stopped when the girl said, "Lana."

"Lana?" Aria looked at her curiously.

"My name is Lana," The girl clutched the meet closer to her chest, "Thank you,"

"Names Aria," Aria replied and closed the door.

She headed back to the apartment and Uta commented, "You took awhile. Did you eat her anyway?"

"No," Aria walked over to the couch and plopped down with legs in Uta's lap, "You were never planning on killing her, were you?"

"We need followers if we're going to become the leaders of this shit hole," Uta replied as he read the mythology book that she didn't recognize.

Aria blinked slightly as she took in the information before it clicked, "You're planning on making them worship you."

"No," Uta glanced down at her, "They will look to me for my strength. They will look to you for your kindness,"

Aria ran that through her mind and hummed softly, "A solid plan, but we'll need more than followers. We'll need people that are willing to fight with us and are as strong as us."

"Someone will come along," Uta replied while returning his attention to the book.

Aria decided not to question him and closed her eyes.

* * *

Aria glanced at Lana as the girl walked up beside her. The girl was around a year younger than Aria with dark brown hair and matching eyes. She looked at Uta as the fifteen year old fought two older ghouls at once, "You aren't going to get involved?"

"Uta doesn't need my help with this one," Aria replied while patting the railing beside her, "Take a seat and watch the show,"

Lana hesitated before doing so, "He seems so..."

"Strong?" Aria finished earning a nod, "Uta's been like that since we met. At the current moment, he's playing a small game with them,"

Lana blinked before looking at Aria, "How long have you known him?"

"I met Uta when I was five and he was seven," Aria didn't see the problem in answering that question, "He saved me from being eaten by an elder female ghoul,"

Lana jolted slightly, "When he was seven? Where were his parents?"

"Where are yours?" Aria retorted earning a slight flinch, "Uta and I are orphans. I met him when my relatives abandoned me and have been friends with him since that day,"

Lana fiddled with the end of her rather ratty dress, "You two...you aren't like everyone else."

Aria let out a soft laugh, "U and I don't want to be normal, Lana. We've always been abnormal and we'll stay that way."

Aria knew that Lana was observing her and allowed the girl sometime to work through her thoughts. Uta finished the elder ghouls and began to rip them apart. Aria jumped off the fence and headed over. Uta tossed her a few fingers before he began to remove the two's eyes. Aria began to eat as Lana slowly walked over. The girl paused slightly before asking, "C-can I have some as well?"

Uta blinked and looked at the girl while biting through the eyeball in his mouth. He chewed on it for a few moments before swallowing and shrugging. Lana looked over at Aria and the hybrid tossed her a finger, "There's more than enough."

Lana looked at the finger before taking a bit while grimacing, "It tastes..."

"Horrible," Aria rolled her eyes lightly, "If you don't like it, you don't need to eat it,"

"Why do you two eat it then?" Lana asked as Aria finished off one finger and began to eat another.

Aria pointed to Uta as the fifteen year old finished off the eyes and moved onto organs. Uta swallowed his mouthful and stated, "To get stronger."

"I-I thought that was a myth," Lana stared at them in shock.

Aria shook her head lightly, "It's not a myth though the part where ghouls go crazy might be."

"It isn't," Uta said after eating half of one adult ghoul's heart, "If you only cannibalize, you'll go crazy though a small percent of ghouls manage to keep their heads. In order to gain the best results, you need to eat both in equal amounts,"

Lana stared at Uta with wide eyes and Aria let out a soft laugh snapping the girl out of her shocked state. Aria spoke after finishing off the fingers Uta had tossed her, "Shocking to hear him speak more than a few words at a time, isn't it?" Lana nodded lightly while making a face at the taste of the finger she was eating, "You'll get used to it the longer you're around him."

Lana chocked on the finger she'd been eating, "W-what?"

"I assume since you've been following us around and came up to us today, you'd be sticking around," Aria reached down and broke off a rib.

Uta took it from her and handed Aria a piece of heart. Aria pouted at him and Uta replied, "Eat it."

With a low sigh, Aria began to eat the piece of heart while Lana looked between them in shock. Finally, Lana asked, "You don't mind?"

"Nope," Aria jabbed a finger at Uta, "Since I'm gone for a majority of the year, Uta needs the company. Sure, he has Kibou, but he needs human contact,"

"Kibou?" Lana looked at Aria, "Who's that?"

"Our kitten," Aria told her.

"Your kitten," Uta tossed away the stomachs.

"Our kitten," Aria ignored Uta for the moment, "You'll meet him later. I don't think he likes strangers,"

Uta rolled his eyes and continued to eat earning a triumphant grin from Aria. The grin was wiped off her face when he tossed a kidney against her cheek. Aria stared at him with a surprised look before grabbing a liver and tossing it at him.

* * *

Aria groaned softly as she walked back into the living room while towel drying her hair, "We're going to have to burn those clothes and get some new ones."

Uta hummed softly from his seat on the couch. He was currently sketching something with Kibou laying across his neck. The kitten had grown quite a bit since Aria last saw him, but it only made him look even more adorable. Aria shot Uta a glare that was ignored by the sketching male. Tossing her towel into the bathroom, Aria walked over to the couch and laid down while making sure to lay over his arms. Uta looked at her with amusement in his steadily changing eyes, "You were the one that threw that liver at me."

"You started the damn fight with that kidney," Aria glared at him.

"You had fun," Uta dropped his sketchpad on to the coffee table and got his arms free.

Aria couldn't come up with an argument as it had been fun. With a sigh, Aria closed her eyes. She didn't even twitch as Uta settled his sketchpad onto her stomach nor when Kibou jumped off his shoulders to drape himself over Aria's forehead.

* * *

With Lana around, the duo had to adjust their schedule a bit, but it wasn't too hard. In the mornings, Lana arrived with some coffee and Aria helped her learn how to fight. In the afternoons, Lana learned about using her kagune better. Seeing as she had a koukaku kagune, Aria and Uta focused on teaching her to use it offensively. Lana already knew how to use her kagune defensively, but lacked offensive power. Aria found some amusement in the fact that Lana's kagune acted much like a turtles shell when Lana used it defensively. Uta had become contemplative when he saw this and heard Aria calling Lana a snapping turtle. As a result, Uta spent more time sketching than usual.

* * *

One night, Aria was meditating in order to learn occlumency on Ceres' advice. When she was finished, Aria noticed that Uta had gone to bed yet and went to go find him. Aria ended up finding Uta passed out against the coffee table. With Ceres' help, she managed to get Uta to lay down in a more comfortable position on the couch. As Aria began to clean up the rather cluttered table, she found Uta's sketchpad open and a half-finished snapping turtle mask design. She stared down at it for a little while before closing his sketchpad and placing it in it's usual place on the table. Aria finished cleaning up the table and turned to go to bed only for a hand to grab her wrist. She looked down at Uta and saw him looking at her with a sleepy expression on his face, "U, I'm going to bed."

Rather than say anything, Uta yanked her to him before wrapping his arms around her waist and closing his eyes. Aria struggled against him only to sigh as Uta grumbled, "Sleep."

"Let me get comfortable," Aria told him.

Uta relaxed his grip and Aria moved to lay on her side with her head on his chest. Once she stilled, Uta pulled the blanket they had on the couch, for when one of them fell asleep on the couch, over them. Aria relaxed into him and closed her eyes with a soft smile on her face. Even if she could sleep alone, Aria didn't like doing it when she had Uta nearby. Somehow, he always made it easier on her. Aria opened her eyes when she felt a warm weight settle halfway on her waist and saw Kibou laying there. Kibou blinked at her before mewing and closing his eyes. Aria internally shook her head and closed her eyes. As she was starting to fall asleep, Uta murmured, "Missed this."

Aria only hummed softly in reply.

* * *

As the days passed on, Aria couldn't get Uta's sketch out of her mind and it only got worse every time she saw ghoul's wearing masks. Aria finally couldn't take it anymore and got Uta books on mask making. She shoved them into his hands and said, "Learn how to make masks and make us some."

Uta had glanced at her before smiling slightly and nodding before moving to put the books away. Lana stared at Aria like she had a second head, but the hybrid witch ignored it and went to get something to eat.

* * *

When Aria's birthday arrived, Uta didn't try to make a cake like last time. Instead, he made Aria breakfast. Given that he'd been helping her in the kitchen, Uta actually knew what he was doing this time. Aria would admit that while the breakfast was simple and something she commonly ate, it somehow tasted better. When she finished eating, Aria kissed Uta on the cheek and hugged him, "Thank you."

She began washing her plate and eating utensils only for Uta to push her out of the way. He glanced at her with his steadily changing eyes, "Go get ready, I will take care of this."

"U," Aria was somewhat surprised by his action.

Uta smiled at her, "It's your birthday."

Aria opened her mouth to say it didn't matter, but changed her mind. If Uta wanted to do this, Aria couldn't begrudge him. After all, he didn't usually do the dishes unless Aria was tired. Smiling at him, Aria said, "Alright. I'll go get ready. Lana should be by soon."

Uta nodded to her and Aria headed into their room to get ready. When she returned, Lana was there and staring at Uta with wide eyes. Aria noticed that Uta was drying the dishes and told Lana, "He's doing it to be nice."

"Ah," Lana looked at her, "Why?"

"It's my birthday," Aria answered making the younger girl jolt in surprise, "I'm thirteen today,"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lana asked earning a shrug from Aria.

"Didn't seem important," Aria replied while taking a seat at the table, "We don't really celebrate,"

Lana seemed a little confused by this before snapping her fingers, "Because you're both orphans!" She then blushed, "Sorry."

"It's fine," Aria waved off her apology, "It's true,"

Lana shook her head lightly, "You should do something to celebrate it. I know that my mom and dad took me out to the movies on my birthday before they died."

"Never been," Aria said while reaching down to pick Kibou up.

"Really?" Lana stared at her in shock as Uta nodded lightly, "That's insane, I mean even I've seen movies,"

Uta finished the dishes as Aria said, "I don't know about Uta, but my relatives hated taking me anywhere fun. Once I got abandoned, I wasn't really focused on doing more than surviving and looking out for U."

"Survival was a bit more important," Uta said as he took a seat at the table.

Lana shook her head lightly and groaned, "You two," She stood up and planted her hands on the table, "You two are coming with me to go see a movie. I will hear no arguments about this."

Aria looked at Uta and he shrugged, "It's your birthday."

Looking at Lana, Aria said, "Alright. I guess we could do that."

"Good!" Lana grinned brightly, "Let's get going!"

Seeing as this was one of the few times they'd seen the younger girl so animated, Aria and Uta followed after her.

* * *

After the movie, Lana decided to show Aria and Uta the fun things they could do without raising anyone suspicion about their species. By the time they made it back to the apartment, Aria was tired, but extremely happy. It had been the best birthday Aria could remember having and it was all thanks to the addition of Lana. As she flopped onto the couch, Aria told Uta, "This is the best birthday I ever had, I think it's my second favorite day."

"Second?" Uta asked as he wandered out of the room.

Aria hummed lightly, "More around the third, but it's high up. The first will always be the day I was abandoned since it was when I met you. I'm stuck on my second favorite day. It's between the day we finally managed to hold our first conversation and my first day back after Dumbledore kidnapped me," Aria heard rustling, "Uta, what are you doing?"

"You'll see," Uta replied from their room.

Aria blinked before shrugging lightly, "What's your favorite day?"

"Tied between the first day we met and Christmas," Uta replied and Aria grinned brightly.

"I should've known," Aria caught Kibou as he jumped onto the couch and settled the kitten onto her chest.

As she played with the kitten, Aria heard Uta approach, but kept her eyes on Kibou. The kitten batted at her fingers before meowing at Uta as he walked around the couch and held out a box. Aria sat up slowly and took the box as Kibou headed over to Uta. Opening it, Aria stared at the mask sitting in the box, "U?"

"It isn't much, but I thought that the first mask I ever made should go to you," Uta said while petting Kibou.

Aria lifted it out of the box, "It's interesting."

"It was supposed to be a wolf, but I couldn't quite get it to do what I wanted," Uta informed her.

Aria smiled softly as she looked at Uta, "Thank you."

"I promise that I'll make you a better one," Uta looked sheepish, "I just wanted to make sure you had something,"

Aria returned the mask to it's box and placed the whole package onto the table. She turned back to Uta and jumped onto him. Kibou let out a loud yowl and jumped away just before Aria hit Uta. Uta grabbed her, but they both fell to the ground as the male overbalanced. Aria began to giggle as Uta groaned softly. She sat up with her hands on his chest, "It might not be the best, but it's better and far more special than any of the other masks I've seen."

Uta flushed lightly while muttering softly under his breath. Aria was about to ask him what he was talking about when Uta said, "Off."

Aria got off of him and held out a hand. Uta took it and Aria helped him up. She turned and picked up her mask before heading into their room, "I'll go put this up. Thank you again, U."

Uta said nothing in reply, but Aria wasn't expecting him to.

* * *

The rest of the summer passed in a blur of activity as Uta began making masks for both himself and Lana. Of course, he only started making those when Aria demanded he do so. He had been planning on focusing on making a better mask for her, but Aria convinced him to make masks for himself and Lana. They both needed one and it didn't make sense for him to make another mask for her when she had a fully functioning one. When she found out about the mini-argument, Lana had only shook her head and muttered about old married couples. This had caused Aria to snap at her and Uta to stare blankly at the youngest member of their trio, Lana had spent the next two days regretting her words as Uta revealed his rather sadistic training methods.

Uta didn't spare Aria when it came to those training methods and cited that she needed it the most since she would be leaving at the end of the summer. Aria hadn't argued much more after that especially when she realized that Uta was worried about what would happen when she got back to England. Apparently, Sirius Black wasn't giving up on becoming her magical guardian. As soon as the Lovegoods and herself returned to England, the Wizengamot would be convening to speak about the issue. The situation didn't amuse Aria whatsoever and she made sure Black understood that. Seeing as Aria only wanted one-way protection, the goblins didn't bother checking the mail she sent out for tricks and traps. As a result, Sirius Black learned to fear any letter being sent by Aria.

* * *

Once again, Aria found herself laying on the ground with Uta pinning her and demanding that she not go. Kibou was once again laying on her and it was clear the kitten was in full agreement with the male ghoul. The newest addition to their group, Lana, was currently staring at the minor scene with a raised eyebrow and a slightly surprised look on her face. Aria looked up at Uta and said, "I need to get going."

"Stay," Uta stared right back at her with his more crimson than blue iris' boring into her multicolored ones.

"I can't," Aria shifted slightly while trying not to wince at the pressure he was putting on her shoulder, "And you know why,"

"I don't like it," Uta eased his grip slightly as if sensing the pain he was causing her.

Aria sighed deeply, "I don't either, but I still need to go," Aria looked at him with a frown, "U, please."

Uta sighed in reply and got off of her. Aria sat up after moving Kibou to sit in her lap. Lana chose that moment to speak up, "Why don't you just stay?"

"You know that whole thing about magic that we talked about?" Aria asked earning a nod, "This is one of those things that I can't avoid doing,"

"Can't you just go to whatever magical school is in Tokyo?" Lana asked making Uta perk up.

Aria hated to do it, but she had to burst Uta's bubble, "I checked with the goblins and I can't transfer. One of the biggest reasons is that I lack Japanese citizenship and I can only get that once I turn of age. While it is possible for me to do it with my celebrity status, I can't really risk it. The Japanese magicals don't really like ghouls and would probably want to take me apart if only to figure out how I tick seeing as one-eyed ghouls are rare."

"And the other reasons?" Lana asked as Uta sighed.

"You know that old man I told you about?" Aria watched Lana nod slowly, "I don't want him to risk taking my memories away or doing something worse," Lana paled slightly, "Until I can either graduate Hogwarts or at the very least, take my NEWTs, I won't risk it. Of course, I will be killing the old man at some point before I leave if only to ensure he won't cause problems later,"

Lana groaned and flopped back onto the couch, "Your luck sucks."

"Sometimes," Aria looked at Uta as the male got up and walked out of the apartment.

Lana raised her head to follow Uta's progress, "Where's he going?"

"I don't know," Aria got up and deposited Kibou in Lana's lap, "I'm going after him,"

She followed Uta's scent all the way up to the roof of the building and found him standing near the edge with a hand on the railing. Aria walked over slowly and stopped as Uta said, "I hate this."

"U..." Aria trailed off as the piece of railing under his hand bent and cracked.

"I hate the fact you have to go and I can't stop you because of that old man," Uta's voice was soft, but Aria could hear the strain, "I hate that you're going to be in danger over there and I won't be by your side to keep you safe,"

Aria's heart dropped and she stepped forward before hesitating. She sighed deeply and walked over to stand beside him, "U, I hate it too, but we've got to deal with it. Life may suck now, but it will get better. We just need to look towards the future," Aria laid her hand on his, "We've got to focus on the day I will return for good. So long as we do that, our current situation won't seem so shitty," Uta looked down at her hand then at her as she stared towards the skyline, "I will always return to you, Uta. I promise you that," She looked at him with a warm smile, "No matter where I go nor how far away I am, I'll always come back to you; though, you probably already know that what with my current track record."

Uta surprised her with a hug causing Aria to freeze for a moment before hugging him back. He laid his head on her shoulder and murmured, "I know you'll come back and keep your promise. I just worry."

"I know," Aria tightened her hold on him, "I worry about you too,"

Uta let out a soft laugh, "I know."

After a few moments, they released one another and Aria asked, "You good now?"

"Yeah," Uta smiled lightly at her.

"C'mon," Aria said while heading towards the door, "We should go down there and make sure Kibou isn't abusing his cuteness to get extra treats from Lana again,"

Uta snickered softly and they headed back down.

* * *

When Aria arrived at the English Gringotts, Rippleclaw was waiting for her with a report on what Black had been doing since she left. It carried far more information than in the letters, but Aria understood that the goblins were being cautious. It didn't change the fact Black was pissing her off and she vowed to make his life hell for not letting the matter drop. Luna and her father were waiting at their home, the Rockery, when she arrived via floo. Xenophilius seemed oddly grim, but still managed to welcome her back while directing her to go get her things settled. Luna pounced on her when they arrived in her room and demanded information. As soon as Aria mentioned the mask Uta had made her, Luna demanded to see it. To placate her, Aria took it out and let the blonde examine it. Luna spoke up after being silent for a little while, "While not exactly what I pictured, it is a good start."

Aria blinked at those words, "Luna?"

Luna only shook her head and handed the mask back to Aria before leaving with a comment of dinner being in an hour. Aria stared after her before shrugging it off and putting the mask away.

 **Okay, I will see you all next week baring any inspiration outbreaks. I will attempt to take a break on Sunday, but I have no idea if I'll be able to do it what with everything going on. Until next time.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **Okay, I just wanted to say that Thursday is coming up fast. This will be the last update until next week unless major inspiration hits. Now, if you don't like this story, don't read. Any insulting reviews or flames will be ignored.**

* * *

 _Dear Mr. Lovegood,_

 _As of September third, your presence is requested by the Wizengamot. Lord Sirius Orion Black has decided to right for his right to be Heir Aria Iris Potter's magical Guardian. As her god father, he is allowed this right. The Wizengamot isn't attempting to take Heir Potter from you, but we must follow our laws. Please come to the third court room at one in the afternoon.  
_

Aria looked at the letter again before raising her gaze to Xenophilius, "I can see why you were grim."

"I do not know how much good I'll do," Xenophilius replied with a frown, "As much as I dislike to admit it, Black has a stronger claim on you,"

"An unfortunate truth," Aria agreed before walking over to the table and began to write to Ripplefang, "I'll be putting you into contact with my account manager. He will assist you in this endeavor. I understand that this is asking a lot of you, but please know I'm thankful for your assistance,"

Xenophilius smiled slightly, "You're Luna's best friend and kept her from being bullied, I will always try my best to help you."

Feeling slightly awkward, Aria nodded and finished her letter before sending it off with Setsuko. She would never get used to adults being nice or kind to her for any reason. It was a left over remnant from the Dursleys treatment of her. Even if she can act normal for the most part, Aria would always be effected by it and she, albeit reluctantly, accepted that fact. Aria tried not to noticed the look of sadness of Xenophilius face and told him, "I'm going to head back upstairs and help Luna pack her things."

With that said, Aria beat a hasty retreat and headed upstairs. Luna glanced at her as she entered the room, "Daddy does care about you even if you two haven't interacted much."

"I just..." Aria sighed deeply as she ran a hand through her hair, "Most of the adults that I've been around haven't given a shit about me, I just can't really believe that anyone really cares about me other than Uta. It's just been us for so long..."

"You have Daddy and I now," Luna told her in a firm tone, "Ceres cares for you as does Kibou and Lana. It isn't just Uta and you now,"

Aria tried to smile at the blonde, "I guess that sometimes I think I'll wake up in that old cupboard with Petunia banging on the door to wake me up."

Luna reached over and hugged Aria causing the hybrid to stiffen. Another remnant of her earlier years with the Dursleys. Aria forced herself to relax and noticed that the hug was almost as nice as Uta's. Closing her eyes, Aria slowly returned the hug and heard Luna whisper, "That will never happen, Aria."

Aria smiled slightly before pulling away, "Let's get you packed up and ready to go, we do have to leave in the morning after all."

Luna offered her a bright smile before they got to work on the blonde's stuff.

* * *

Aria stepped onto the train while glancing down at the Hogsmeade slip that Xenophilius had signed just that morning. While there was little chance it would be accepted, Xenophilius had insisted that she get a chance to see the village. Aria wasn't so sold on the idea, but admitted that the idea of getting away from the school at various points in the year would be nice. Placing the slip into her bag, Aria walked with Luna towards the same compartment they had taken last year and settled. Setsuko had taken off to Hogwarts earlier that morning while Ceres was curled up in his customary position around her shoulders though he slipped onto the seat once she'd sat down. Luna hummed softly, "I think we might have some visitors soon."

Aria inclined her head while taking out her sketchpad. It wasn't until the train took off that the 'visitors' arrived. Draco was the first, "Aria, Lovegood, how was your summer?"

"Eventful," Aria told him as Luna nodded.

"Daddy and I were so close to find Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, but found poachers," Luna informed the boy, "They were rather unpleasant,"

"No doubt," Draco looked slightly awkward as he talked to Luna before turning back to Aria, "I was hoping that you might come to the first Hogsmeade day with me,"

Aria thought about it, "I suppose it would be nice to have a friend to explore with. Of course, I will only be able to go if they accept Xenophilius' signature on my slip."

Draco nodded with a tight expression on his face, "Let us hope, it would be more enjoyable if you're there," He moved on to another topic, "Did you finish your home?"

"Yes though someone didn't make it easy," Aria informed him while rolling her eyes at the memory.

Ever time Aria took out her homework, Uta found some reason for her to not do it. Every _single_ time. The first time had been an honest mistake with Uta accidentally startling Kibou into shredding the homework she'd been doing. The second time had been a mistake as well, but on Lana's part. The girl had accidentally knocked over the ink pot that Aria had been using while looking for Uta's sketchpad. Uta had sent Lana looking on the small desk Aria had managed to find and was using to do her home. Uta's sketchpad had been on the coffee table underneath a map and a few pieces of paper which Uta knew. Every other time after that had been orchestrated by Uta though Aria had been unable to prove it much to the hybrid's ire and the male ghoul's amusement. As a result of the delays, it took Aria almost the whole summer and trips to the magical districts cafe's.

As he didn't know about Uta or Aria's life in Japan, Draco merely looked at Luna, "I'm surprised you didn't let Aria focus on her homework."

"We were trying to find Crumple-Horned Snorkacks," Luna replied while not seeming at all bothered by the blame being laid on her shoulders.

Draco left soon after with a promise to meet in the library sometime during the first week for their usual study sessions. Hermione and Ronald made their appearances though Aria sent them scattering soon after. Aria was somewhat surprised when Neville Longbottom came along. He was rather shy and skittish which was the main reason they hadn't shared any conversation whatsoever. So her surprise at his appearance was warranted, Aria managed to force it down and offer the boy a welcoming smile, "Hello, Longbottom. How can I help you?"

"I..." He trailed off with a lost look on his face reminding her of a puppy or bear cub.

Aria felt something in her soften at the boy's actions. He reminded her of herself before she met Uta. It would seem that the boy hadn't met his 'Uta' just yet. Smiling a bit more warmly at the boy, Aria soothed, "Take a deep breath and speak slowly, you have nothing to worry about."

The boy looked at her in surprise before taking her advice, "My grandmother wanted me to tell you that we support your decision against having Lord Black as a guardian."

Aria inclined her head, "Please tell her that I am grateful for your support, I have a feeling I'll need as much help as possible."

Neville nodded with an unsure look on his face. Aria offered him an encouraging smile and it seemed to bolster the boy's confidence. He took a deep breath before asking, "Why don't you want Black as your guardian?"

"Other than what I've previously stated?" Aria asked earning a small nod, "Black doesn't know me and will probably treat me as a child even though I have never been one. He would probably try to force me into acting like my parents. I also don't believe he's fully recovered from his time in Azkaban," Aria grimaced lightly which was matched by Luna, "I don't want to live with a delusional man that can only see my parents rather than me. I also believe that it'll give Dumbledore more access to me and as I dislike the man, I have no intention of allowing him to get a better hold on me,"

"You don't like Dumbledore?" Neville asked earning a not nice smile from Aria.

Aria heard Neville's heart beat increase as she smiled darkly, "Dumbledore has done nothing, but make my life difficult. For reasons that I will not share, I will never like Dumbledore. I may respect some of what he's done in the past, but that's it."

Neville nodded and left after saying goodbye. Luna looked at her as soon as the boy was gone, "Dislike?"

"Safer word," Aria shrugged lightly, "I don't want to send him running to the nearest authority figure if I informed him of my plans to kill off the old man," Aria turned back to her sketchpad, "Not that I'll tell anyone save for you and Uta of my plans. It would be a waste if the old man found out far too soon,"

Aria chose to ignore the look of amusement on Luna's face and the seer's giggles as she thought of what she'd do the old man when the time came. Oh, she wouldn't be giving him an easy death. No, she'd make it as painful as possible. If he kept pushing her, Aria would torture him before she killed him and ensure that the old man couldn't do anything. As thoughts of slaughter filled her mind to occupy her thoughts, Aria began to sketch out what would be her first tattoo design. Though for her or for another, Aria didn't know.

* * *

When they got their schedules for classes, Aria looked at hers in confusion, "Professor?"

"Yes, Ms. Potter?" Professor Flitwick turned to her.

"Why does this say Divination?" Aria asked while showing him her schedule, "I clearly remember selecting Ancient Runes,"

Professor Flitwick looked at her schedule in surprise before tapping it with his wand and making the change, "I apologize, Ms. Potter. I don't know what happened, but I'll ensure that Professor Babbling knows that you're in her class."

"Thank you, Professor," Aria smiled warmly at the Professor before looking down at her schedule as he walked away.

Luna looked at her and commented, "Another ploy?"

"Most likely," Aria shook her head lightly, "It's childish of him. I'll have to do something to ensure he knows that I do not appreciate nor will I take his meddling when it comes to my classes," Aria looked at Luna, "Will you require my assistance this year or no?"

Luna shook her head, "No, but it would be nice for you to come with me into the forest. The thestral herd is rather nice."

"Of course," Aria glanced towards the head table, "Want to bet Lupin is connected to my parents in someway?"

"Suckers bet," Luna snorted softly.

Aria smirked and continued to eat her breakfast after looking over her schedule again.

* * *

The first week passed by fairly quickly and Aria found herself settling in the same routine as the year before save for the fact Defense was actually interesting. She was somewhat annoyed by the man's constant glances, but managed to ignore it long enough to get through class. Professor Flitwick had opened up his time outside of class for an hour or so every other day to teach the entire house about dueling. Many Ravenclaws jumped at the chance and it became one of the house favorites, Aria was pleasantly surprised to find that she was better than most of them. Other than that, Aria had managed to avoid both Hermione and Ronald while noticing some rather startling changes.

It wasn't very obvious at first, but Aria's sense of smell seemed to be increasing in sensitivity. It seemed to get stronger as time passed on and Aria had taken to using the bubble-head charm more often the years before. Alongside that, Aria had noticed an increase in her speed and gracefulness. Due to being around Uta and Lana over the summer, Aria was able to put that down as the training they'd done. Aria had also noticed that she was beginning to increase the time it took for her to become hungry for human meat though that was true for most ghouls. As they matured, ghouls required less sustenance until they only needed it once a month. Other than that, the most startling change had been brought to her attention by Professor Flitwick during the house dueling lesson.

Aria had just managed to win a duel against one of the elder Ravenclaw students, Roger Davis, when Professor Flitwick approached her. He had a contemplative look on his face, "Ms. Potter, can I have a word with you?"

"Of course, Professor," Aria nodded and followed the man out of the room after he called out a halt to all duels while advising the older students to help perfect the younger ones spell work.

Professor Flitwick closed the door behind them and asked, "Did something happen this summer, Aria?"

The worry in his voice was confusing, "No, Professor. Why?"

Professor Flitwick nodded to himself, "I had thought as much. Aria, do you know that the marks of truly powerful witches and wizards?"

"No," Aria shook her head.

"Two most common marks are the brightness of one's eye color and the glow their eyes give off when their channeling magic," Professor Flitwick informed her earning a raised eyebrow, "While I am sure you haven't noticed the latter, you surely have seen that your eyes are much more vibrant when looking into a mirror,"

Aria thought back to this morning and frowned, "I guess it's been so gradual that I didn't notice. Professor, why did you ask me about my summer?"

"As a young witch, your body will mature faster than that of a wizard," Professor Flitwick informed her, "That includes your magic. When ones magic matures, it often causes fevers and sickness as the body adapts to the quick changes that can occur. Sometimes, you'll feel tingly and full of energy for a long period of time before crashing like in a sugar rush. Did you feel any diffrent this summer?"

Aria shook her head lightly, "No. I haven't though isn't it a bit early? I thought the age of majority was seventeen."

"That is when wizards are usually fully mature in body and magic," Professor Flitwick replied making Aria's frown deepen, "Witches usually mature between their fifteenth and sixteenth birthday. Sometimes it can occur as early as twelve to thirteen,"

"So the whole age of majority is biased?" Aria wasn't really surprised given the fact that the English wizarding society seemed stuck in the dark ages, "Somehow this doesn't surprise me,"

Professor Flitwick chuckled at her dry tone, "The magical society within the United Kingdom is like that. Now, I have one more thing to talk about with you before we head back inside," Professor Flitwick pulled out a familiar piece of parchment that Aria had handed in the morning she got her schedule alongside everyone in her year, "I am sorry to inform you that Hogsmeade weekends are currently out of the question. Once your guardianship issues have been resolved, you'll be allowed to go barring any unforeseen trouble."

Aria smiled at the apologetic half-goblin, "It's fine Professor. I expected this and wasn't really looking forward to going anyway. Thank you for telling me, I was wondering about the outcome since I gave you that slip."

Professor Flitwick blinked in surprise before nodding and gesturing to the room, "Let's get back to the class."

* * *

A few days after Aria had spoken with Professor Flitwick, she managed to get time to inform Draco of the situation. The boy was very disappointing and unhappy while promising to get his father to look into the situation. Aria had thanked him while feeling very confused before they went onto their study their sessions. Draco seemed to have a bit of trouble focusing, so Aria ended the session while telling the boy that they could always study another time. With a flushed face, the blonde boy had left the library as Luna giggled quietly beside her. Aria glanced at the seer for a few seconds before deciding to leave it be. If it was important, Luna would tell her.

Later that night, Aria talked with Uta while waiting for Astronomy to begin. Uta had been silent when Aria mentioned Draco's actions before commenting, ' **I don't know why he would do that. Is he bothering you?'**

 _'No, Draco's cool if a bit arrogant. You want to know something? He wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me,'_ Aria shook her head lightly at the reminder, ' _It's odd since we would have gone together anyway since we are allies and that something allies do together.'_

Uta took a little bit of time to reply, ' **I don't know what to tell you. It might be a wizard thing or something.'**

 _'Maybe,'_ Aria looked up and noticed her fellow third year Ravens leaving the tower, _'I need to go,'_

 **'Talk to you later,'** Uta replied and Aria smiled as he wrote, **'I'll be waiting if you want to talk anymore before going to bed,'**

She shut the journal and put it away before following after her classmates.

* * *

As the year passed on, Aria began to notice something off about Lupin. Not only did he have a rather musky scent that reminded her of a dog, he also seemed to become sick or find some excuse to be off three days a month. After those three days, he seemed rather weary and looked older while the musky scent seemed to lessen. It increased during the week before as did the rather pained look on the man's face. Aria also noticed that his glances towards her become suspicious and, dare she say it, fearful? It was rather concerning especially after Snape's lessons on werewolves and it wasn't long before Aria came to the conclusion that Lupin was a werewolf.

As a result of her conclusion, Aria avoided being around the Professor as much as possible. It wouldn't be good if he figured out what Aria was until it was time for her to leave this country for good. Aria often checked with Luna to find ways to avoid coming into contact with the man. And she managed it quite well until the day they were studying bogarts, Aria was filled with fear at the thought of what her bogart would be. Due to her background, Aria wasn't quite sure what her greatest fear was, but she knew what most of her fears were. The biggest one she could think of was being discovered by the magicals and never being able to return to Tokyo.

When Lupin called up her name, Aria hesitantly stepped up to the front and watched as Uta stepped out of the cupboard. Now, Aria would normally be glad to see her friend, but not now as something was very wrong. With each step towards her, Uta's clothing began to tear and blood began to stain the clothes. When Uta opened his mouth, Aria watched in horror as blood dripped out. Uta's face contorted into a pained expression as he reached for her and whispered, "Aria, it hurts."

"U-uta!" Aria couldn't move or do anything as tears filled her eyes, "No, no, no!"

Uta let out a gasp of pain as he fell to the ground and blood began to pool around his form. Aria didn't notice the class screaming until she was shoved out of the way. She watched as darkness began to gather in her eyes and white noise filled her mind as Uta disappeared. She collapsed with a soft whisper of Uta's name. When she woke up, Aria was in the hospital wing with Luna curled up in the chair next to the bed and Xenophilius speaking with Madam Pomfrey nearby. Luna brightened as she saw Aria sit up, "Aria!"

"L-luna?" Aria looked at her friend as the seer jumped out of the chair and slammed into her, "W-what happened?"

"You collapsed in Defense class," Madam Pomfrey informed her, "You gave everyone quite the scare,"

"D-defense?" Aria's mind went back to the class and she felt sick at the memory, "Oh god,"

She covered her mouth as tears filled her eyes. Aria started as a warm hand rubbed her back and turned to see Xenophilius standing there. He offered no words and Aria was grateful for the silence as she focused on the comfort he was offering. Luna leaned into her as Madam Pomfrey said, "Take some time to gather your thoughts, I will be back to talk with you more. I have some patients to see to."

Aria could see that the matronly woman was worried, but seemed to understand that Aria needed this. Aria offered her a thankful nod while hugging Luna to her chest and burrowing her face into the blonde shoulder. Even if she knew Uta wasn't dead, the thought was still enough to bring her to tears and make her want to scream at everything. With a slight sob, Aria began to cry as she struggled with her conflicting thoughts and emotions.

* * *

For weeks after the defense lesson, Aria had nightmares of Uta being dead or dying. The only thing that helped her fall back asleep after those dreams was talking with Uta and being assured he was alive. Aria doubted that she would ever stop having nightmares of his death until Uta was right there and she could physically see him uninjured. Even with her late night talks with Uta, Aria found herself increasingly short of temper. It got to the point that she snapped at everyone even Luna though she managed to ensure that was rare. Aria had been forced to take the dreamless sleep potion for a few nights to get her temper down. Once she woke up after the first time, Aria had been pissed off once she found out they'd drugged her drink and it took Uta talking some sense into her to get Aria's anger under control.

As a result of the lesson, the rest of her fellow third year Ravens and Badgers had nightmares of the event. Lupin had been forced to put off some lessons until after the class relaxed. Lupin's glances towards her had increased alongside the attempts of her fellow students to figure out why her bogart was like that. It had gotten to the point where Aria only made appearances for class and the occasional trip to the library for her study sessions with Draco. Aria was somewhat regretful for decreasing her time spent with the blonde wizard, but she honestly couldn't deal with everyone attempting to interrogate her. While unhappy, Draco seemed to understand even if it was a reluctant understanding.

* * *

When it came time for the Christmas vacation sign-ups, Aria had managed to find out that she would be allowed to spend the break with Xenophilius. With that in mind, Aria had informed the Professor that she'd be leaving with Luna. A few days before break saw Aria conversing with Uta and got some interesting news. Aria had just finished telling Uta about her coming to see him for the vacation. Aria told him, _'I can't wait to see you. I've missed you a lot.'_

 **'I missed you too,'** Uta replied, **'A lot has happened since you left,'**

Aria's eyes widened, _'Is everything alright? Are the doves causing too much trouble? Oh god, are you al-'_

Uta cut her off, **'Everything is fine, 'Ria. The Doves aren't causing too much trouble and I'm alright. I won't say too much, but I've managed to meet some people I want to introduce to you.'**

' _Don't say shit like that and worry me,'_ Aria inwardly growled at him, _'You could have worded that a bit better,'_

 **'I'll keep that in mind,'** Aria could imagine Uta saying that in a dry tone, **'I need to go,'**

 _'Something wrong?'_ Aria hoped not.

 **'Just need to go meet with someone and stock up on ghoul meat for you,'** Uta replied making Aria grimace, **'Stop grimacing. You may not like it, but you need it to get stronger,'**

Aria inwardly grumbled at how well he knew her before saying, _'I guess we'll talk later. Be safe.'_

 **'Really?'** Uta replied make Aria snort softly, **'Safe isn't fun,'**

Aria shook her head, _'Try not to die then, U.'_

 **'Will do~'** was Uta's reply.

With a slight smile, Aria put away her journal and got ready for bed.

* * *

When they got off the train, Xenophilius was waiting alongside a rather large group of people with cameras and Sirius Black. Ignoring most of it, Aria walked over while calmly dragging both Luna's and her own trunk. As Xenophilius hugged his daughter, he looked at Aria and asked, "How are you?"

"Been better," Aria replied with a slight smile at the sight of the two hugging.

Xenophilius nodded with a sad smile, "I hope this time away from the castle will do you some good."

Before Aria and Xenophilius could continue their conversation, Sirius Black butted in, "Pup-"

"Don't call me that," Aria snapped at the man, "My name is Aria Potter and you may only call me Potter as I do not know you,"

The man looked hurt and a little bit angry. While Aria was inwardly wincing at her tone, she had, had a nightmare during the train ride due to taking a small nap and was currently feeling a bit too stressed out to want to deal with the man. Xenophilius spoke before Black could, "Lord Black, I believe you should leave Aria alone at the moment as it is quite clear she is stressed out."

"My-" Black began only to be cut off by a reporter walking up.

"Heir Potter, I'm Rita Skeeter of the Daily Profit," The woman was blonde with gaudy green glasses and a plastic looking smile, "If I could trouble you for a few words before you get on with your vacation?"

Aria saw that Black was about to speak up, but spoke before he could, "If it's only a few, I don't see the harm, but please keep it quick."

"Of course," The woman's smile grew, "Word from Hogwarts has it that your bogart is a rather horrifying sight of someone dying. Could you explain that?"

Wincing slightly at the question, Aria said, "One of my greatest fears is seeing my best-friend dying. While I haven't seen him since a few days after my eleventh birthday, the thought of him dying is very troubling."

"Apparently the sight was rather vivid," Skeeter informed her after Aria finished speaking.

Aria looked at the reporter and sighed feeling tired, "If you don't already know, I was in an accident during the summer before my first year at Hogwarts. During the accident, my relatives save for my cousin died. Before I was knocked unconscious, I saw my aunt being speared through the chest by a large piece of glass. Other than that, my 'childhood' was not an easy one and death is rather familiar to me."

Skeeter was about to press for more when Xenophilius spoke up while settling a hand on her shoulder, "Ms. Skeeter and everyone else, I understand you're heavily curious about my charge, but I feel that it would be in her best interest that we leave. As you can no doubt see, the questions she's been asked have taken a lot out of her. I would like to get her home and in bed before anything else happens. Any questions you have can either be answered later or by letter."

Skeeter opened her mouth before seeing the look on the blonde wizard's face. Nodding to the man, she smiled thinly, "Of course, Mr. Lovegood. Please go and Heir Potter," Aria looked at her with a slightly blank look, "I hope you feel better soon and get to see your friend again."

"Thank you," Aria replied before leaving with Luna and Xenophilius.

Xenophilius took them to his home and informed Aria, "Luna and I will be heading to Italy for the break to visit some extended family."

"A proper cover story," Aria smiled tiredly at Xenophilius, "Thank you,"

"It's no trouble," He eyed her, "You should head upstairs and get some rest. I've placed a dreamless sleep point on your nightstand. Please take it,"

Aria was tempted to argue, but could tell he was worried. Nodding to him, Aria headed upstairs and with Luna following after her. Luna looked at Aria as the hybrid commented, "It seems you're right."

"Glad to see you realized that," Luna replied in a light tone, "Get some sleep, I doubt Uta wants you traveling through ghoul infested areas when you're like this,"

Aria yawned softly and headed into her room, "I'm going."

 **Okay Christmas with Uta and some more Tokyo Ghoul Characters appearing. Can you guess who Uta wants Aria to meet?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **Okay, I just wanted to say that Thursday is coming up fast. This will be the last update until next week unless major inspiration hits. Now, if you don't like this story, don't read. Any insulting reviews or flames will be ignored.**

* * *

When Aria walked out of the Tokyo magical alley, she was met by Lana looking around curiously. When the younger Ghoul spotted her, Lana walked over, "Aria! How was your trip?"

"It was fine," Aria looked around with a small frown, "Where's Uta?"

"He had some stuff to take care of," Lana replied while noticing Aria's frown deepen, "Sorry, Aria,"

"It's fine," Aria shook her head lightly while trying to smile at Lana, "I'm actually happy to see you too. It'll be good to spend some time home,"

Lana smiled at her in return and they headed towards the train station. Lana began talking about how good she'd gotten at using her kagune for both defense and offense along with the training that Uta had been putting her through. Aria told Lana about her dueling classes and how fun they were. About halfway to their stop, Lana asked, "How has Defense been?"

Aria sighed deeply and looked out of the window, "I like how informative it is and how I don't have to do self-study like before. However, I don't like Lupin. He keeps giving me odd looks and I really think he's a werewolf. While I'm fairly sure he's never smelled a ghoul before, I know that he can smell that there's something off about my scent."

"So he might become a problem especially if it's ever revealed that you come to Japan every Summer and break," Lana grimaced with a shake of her head, "But that wasn't what I was asking about. You know what I was asking about,"

Aria closed her eyes and tried to force her mind away from the memory of that lesson, "I know, but I really don't want to talk about it."

"It'll help if you do," Lana replied and Aria's eyes opened upon feeling the touch of a hand, "Trust me,"

Aria looked at the hand on her arm and then back at Lana. Sighing softly, Aria said, "It probably will, but-"

"But you want to talk to Uta about it before anyone else," Lana smiled lightly at Aria, "I know that, but I figured it might be a good idea to try. Just remember that I'm here to talk, I'm sure that Luna girl is too,"

Aria blinked before nodding, "Thank you."

"That's what friends are for," Lana moved forward with a grin, "So, I heard it's going to snow tomorrow, so I was thinking..."

As Aria listened to Lana's idea, she couldn't help, but smile. Luna was right about it not being just Uta and her.

* * *

Uta wasn't at their apartment when they got back which was disappointing, but Aria figured that he was probably doing something very important. With that in mind, Aria made herself some dinner while also tossing some meat in a seperate pan for Lana. Lana stayed with her until after dinner and told Aria that she'd be back tomorrow. Aria settled down on the couch and opened her book on runes while fishing out a piece of paper to write notes on.

* * *

Hour later, Aria found herself waking up to the feeling of being carried. Stiffening, Aria scented the air carefully and relaxed as she noticed Uta's scent. She let out a soft hum, "U..."

"Go back to sleep, 'Ria," Uta told her in a soft tone.

Pressing her nose to his neck, Aria let out a tired sigh, "M'kay."

Aria was nearly asleep when she heard soft whispers. Uta paused and shifted slightly before saying, "Leave. We can speak more in the morning."

Uta resumed walking as Aria heard shuffling followed by a door shutting. Aria raised herself up a little, "What's going on?"

"Go back to sleep," Uta replied while looking at Aria with red tinted blue eyes, "I'll explain tomorrow,"

If Aria hadn't been so tired, she would have argued. Instead, she nodded tiredly and settled back against him while falling into a small doze. She woke up after Uta set her down long enough to change into her night clothes before falling back asleep. She dimly heard a soft chuckle and felt Uta pull her into a hug as she murmured, "Night, U. Missed you."

"Missed you too, 'Ria," Was all Aria registered as Uta saying before she fell completely asleep.

* * *

When Aria woke up, she found herself alone in the small bed they had in their room. Slowly sitting up, Aria yawned and stretched. She heard the door opening and Uta walked inside while drying his hair. He smiled slightly at seeing Aria awake, "Morning."

"Morning," Aria rubbed at her eyes, "What time is it?"

"Almost noon," Aria jolted at his reply earning a soft laugh, "You needed it and it was nice to sleep in a little. Lana's bring you some breakfast, so go get ready," Aria slowly got up only to pause as Uta walked over and hugged her lightly, "I missed you too, 'Ria,"

Aria returned the hug and pressed her nose into his neck. A shudder ran through her mind went to the bogart and Aria bit back a whine. Uta's hold tightened on her as she shuddered again. Aria pressed as close to him as possible as she whispered, "I...I can't stop thinking about it, U. I can't..."

Uta moved to sit on the bed and pulled her into his lap, "Let it out, 'Ria. I'm here and I'm not about to die."

Aria sobbed and began to cry as she burrowed her face as deeply into his neck as physically possible.

* * *

Lana said nothing as Aria walked out of the bathroom nearly twenty minutes after she'd arrived. She only smiled at Aria as Uta pulled out a bag of some sort of pastry from the oven and handed it to her. Lana spoke after Uta had set down three cups of coffee, "It snowed a bunch earlier this morning. Your entire entryway was completely covered in the stuff."

"I guess that means we'll have all the ammo we need for your idea," Aria replied after swallowing a bit of her pastry.

Uta looked at her in surprise before directing his attention to Lana, "What idea?"

"I thought it would be fun for us to have a snowball fight," Lana grinned brightly, "It'll be fun and I doubt you two have done it before,"

Uta shook his head lightly while Aria hummed softly and said, "Actually, I have been in one only I couldn't fight back. My cousin always thought it was fun to use me as target practice and my relatives allowed it."

Uta frowned while Lana scowled and growled, "The more I hear about them, the more I wished they were alive if only so we could eat them."

"My Uncle was severely overweight and my aunt was as thin as a twig," Aria shook her head with a grimace, "I doubt either would have been a truly satisfying meal. They probably would have been better for one of those auction things I heard about from the goblins,"

"Auctions?" Lana looked at her in surprise while Uta blinked at her, "What auctions and how do the goblins know about them?"

Aria leaned back against her chair and took another bite of her pastry. After she'd swallowed it, Aria told them, "Apparently, some of the upper parts of society have these auctions. It's where the whole human slaves and stuff comes from though most apparently just eat whatever they purchase in the most brutal way possible. From what the goblins have said, the whole thing is run, or at least, owned by the Madams. They're a group of female ghouls that are fairly influential in the higher parts of ghoul society. I don't know too much since the goblins don't, so I can't say much more other than you have to be fairly rich to buy those up for auction," Aria took a sip of her coffee, "As for how the goblins know, they want to ensure that when it comes time to become their envoy, I know as much as possible about ghoul society. Knowing who to talk to and the like will make my future job a lot easier," Aria paused for a few seconds, "Though it won't be the only job I'll have."

"What do you mean?" Lana asked her, "Isn't being an envoy the only job you'll need?"

"Maybe, but I know that I'll get bored of just doing jobs for the goblins," Aria finished off her pastry and grabbed the next one, "I'm definitely liking the idea of being a tattoo artist and figure that opening up a shop once I figure everything out about tattooing ghouls would be fun too. There is another job too, the goblins mentioned it in their report about the various things they've learned about ghoul society,"

"What kind of job?" Uta spoke up while looking at Aria curiously.

Taking a sip of her coffee to wash down the second pastry, Aria cleared her throat, "Apparently, it's a job called 'Tracker'. They track ghouls and humans down for whatever reason they're hired for. In order to be a tracker, you need to have a seriously sensitive nose not to mention be fairly quick on your feet. If you're a good enough tracker, you can actually earn a lot of money which added onto what I'll probably earn as an envoy and a tattoo artist for ghouls would be enough to live comfortably."

"This will be after I'm bored of being the leader of this ward?" Uta asked earning a nod, "Alright, it looks like we'll need to train your sense of smell especially if you're planning on becoming a good tracker,"

Aria beamed at him as he picked up his cup of coffee.

* * *

When darkness was falling, they headed out to hunt and Aria was surprised by a red blur slamming into her best friend with a cry of, "U~"

"Itori," Uta held the red haired teen easily.

"Why didn't you mention you were going to be hunting?" The red haired ghoul pouted at Uta, "I would've come too,"

"We're hunting for ghouls," Uta replied while glancing back at Aria.

The red haired girl seemed to notice Aria and grinned, "You've brought me a snack! Oh you're so-"

"No," Uta dropped the girl and walked over to Aria, "Aria, this is Itori. Itori, this is my best friend Aria," He settled beside her as the red haired girl got up with a grimace, "Itori is one of the people I wanted you to meet,"

Aria hummed lightly and offered the red haired girl a warm smile, "It's nice to meet you though please do not try to eat me. I'll be forced to hurt you and I don't want to hurt any of U's other friends."

Itori's eyes widened and she pointed at Aria, "You're the famous Aria he's told us about?! Oh, you look absolutely adorable and smell even more delicious than he mentioned."

Aria looked at her for a few seconds before looking at Uta, "Is she always so..."

"Yes," Uta looked down at her, "You okay with that?"

"It'll be nice to have someone so bright spirited with us," Aria held out a hand to Itori, "I hope we can be friends,"

Itori looked at the hand before dismissing it and slamming into Aria with a hug. Aria was nearly deafened as Itori squealed, "Oh, we'll be better than friends! I can definitely work with you!"

Aria tried to ignore how hard it was to breath while giving Uta an alarmed look. He chuckled while pulling Itori off of Aria, "Aria isn't much for physical contact unless she knows you."

"Sorry," Itori flushed lightly.

Aria waved her off, "It's fine since we're going to be friends."

Itori beamed at her before pointing at Uta, "You mentioned hunting ghouls! Let's go get some food and find Renji, I heard that he was in the general area!"

Aria watched in surprise as Uta's normally blank look brightened up a bit as a smile appeared on his face. Somehow, Aria had a feeling that this 'Renji' wouldn't been too pleased with Uta finding him. Uta just had a look in his eyes that spoke of the trouble that only came when he decided to annoy more powerful ghouls. Inwardly sighing, Aria hoped that there wouldn't be too much damage.

* * *

Renji turned out to be a silver haired teen around Uta and Itori's age. Uta immediatly began to piss off the boy and prompting a fight. Itori and Lana dragged her over to the side before sitting down to watch. Aria watched her best friend in interest as he fought and smiled as she noticed how much he was enjoying himself, "He likes fighting Renji, huh?"

"Yeah," Lana glanced at her, "A week after you left, Renji came into the ward and came across Uta eating a ghoul. When I arrived on the scene, Uta had managed to piss of Renji and they were fighting. When it was over, they were both heavily injured, but drew even during the fight. Renji left as soon as it was over and Uta said that he was looking forward to meeting up again,"

"Damn, I wish I could've stayed longer," Aria watched as Renji managed to send Uta flying.

Uta managed to move himself into a better position to land. He still ended up skidding, but that was only due to the force of the throw. Uta called out a few insults and Renji dove towards him only for Uta to dodge. Cracks appeared on the concrete where Renji's fist had impacted the ground, Aria let out a soft whistle, "He's as strong as U."

"Uh huh," Itori grinned as the two continued to fight, "It's so exciting to see them fighting!"

* * *

When the fight finished, Itori ran over to Renji as Aria made her way over to Uta. Both males were laying on the ground covering in steadily healing injuries, Aria bent down and murmured, "Enjoy yourself?"

Uta hummed lightly and held out a hand to her. Taking it, Aria pulled him into a sitting position as Renji asked, "Who are you?"

"Aria," Aria told him while turning to look at the silverette, "Potter, Aria. I just recently got back to Tokyo though it will only be for a little while and you are?"

"Renji. Yomo Renji," Renji replied while eyeing her, "Why are you with him?"

Aria shrugged lightly as Uta tugged her to sit on him. Aria leaned back against him as he pressed his nose into her neck and wrapped his arms around her. Lana settled beside them and leaned against Aria's legs. Lana spoke upon noticing that neither Uta nor Aria were speaking up, "Uta saved Aria when she was five and he was seven. They've been together ever since save for the instances where she was forced back to England."

Renji and Itori's eyes widened making Aria realize that Uta hadn't told them much about what was going on with he. Turning her head towards Uta, he blinked at her before murmuring, "Your story to tell."

"Trust them?" Aria asked earning a head shake, "Not yet, but soon?" Uta nodded, "Alright," Aria turned her attention back towards the two, "My story will be told, but not at the moment. I don't know either of you well. Once I do, I'll tell you my story," Aria shivered and leaned further into Uta, "Can we go back home? I'm getting cold,"

Chuckling, Uta nodded and they got up. Uta grabbed her hand and they headed towards home. Itori and Renji got up to follow with Lana walking beside them.

* * *

Christmas morning dawned bright and early, Aria was more than a little annoyed the banging occurring on the front door. Burrowing her head into the pillow and curling closer to Uta, Aria groaned, "Make it stop."

"Itori won't stop until she has what she wants," Uta mumbled shifting into a sitting position making Aria let out a whine, "I'll go see what she wants,"

Aria yawned softly and burrowed beneath the blanket as Uta got up. She shuddered at the cold air caused by the blankets moving and groaned, "Check the damn heater."

"Bossy this morning?" Uta glanced down at her as Kibou burrowed into the blankets with her.

Aria stuck her tongue out at him before covering herself fully in the blanket. Kibou meowed and curled up against her as Aria heard the door to their room open. It shut soon after and was followed by the door out of the apartment opening. Itori's voice was slightly muffled by the walls, but Aria could vaguely hear the elder red haired teen exclaiming something about it being Christmas. Aria managed to doze off only to be startled awake by the door to the bed room slamming open and Itori shouting, "Merry Christmas, Aria!"

Aria pulled the blanket down and gave Itori a blank look, "And? Japan doesn't celebrate Christmas for the most part."

"My family did!" Itori pointed at her as Kibou maneuvered himself out of the blankets to look at Itori as if she'd said something truly offensive about tuna, "Cute cat,"

Itori began to reach for Kibou and Aria yawned while saying, "I wouldn't do th-"

Kibou let out a yowl and slashed his claws at Itori's hand. To Aria's surprise, they managed to pierce through the ghoul's hard skin earning a cry of shock from the female. Kibou darted out of the room and Aria yawned again as Itori growled, "How the fuck-"

"Fuck if I know," Aria shook her head while pushing the blankets off and shivering, "I'm going to take a shower. Don't kill Kibou, he doesn't like strangers very much,"

Shivering, Aria grabbed her clothes and left for the bathroom. When she had finished getting ready for the day, Aria walked into the kitchen and looked at the meat on the table. Itori was glaring at Kibou as the cat ate bloody meat from his bowl and Uta was making coffee. Aria sat down as Uta said, "The heater is busted."

"Fuck," Aria groaned softly.

"I think Renji knows how to fix stuff like that," Itori offered once she'd stopped glaring at Kibou.

Aria grabbed a piece of meat and said, "We should ask him."

"I know where he is, so I'll go get him," Itori stood up and left after grabbing a piece of meat to eat on the go.

Eating the piece she'd grabbed, Aria stood up and walked over to the cupboards before fishing out one of the breakfast bars she had stored there. As she sat down, Uta placed a cup of coffee for her on the table and sat down, "Itori doesn't seem to like Kibou."

"He scratched her," Aria opened up the packaging and began to eat her breakfast, "Though I can't figure out how he's managed it,"

"I've been feeding him the extra ghoul meat left over from my hunts," Uta answered making the coffee that Aria had been sipping go down the wrong pipe, "It's probably been helping him get stronger,"

Coughing, Aria rasped out, "W-what?! He could get sick from that."

"He seems fine," Uta waved off her concern, "He hasn't died or gotten sick yet, so I'm not very concerned,"

Taking a deep breath once her airways cleared, Aria asked, "How long have you been feeding him that stuff?"

"About a month after I got him and ran out of cat food for him," Uta shrugged lightly.

Aria looked at Kibou as he finished his meal, "I wonder if he has some type of magical breed of cat in him. From what I've read, it's the only reason why he hasn't gotten sick yet."

"Who knows," Uta took a sip of his coffee, "What do you want to do today?"

"See if Renji can fix the heater," Aria finished her breakfast bar and threw away the wrapper before grabbing some meat to eat, "If he can't, we'll have to get books on how to fix it ourselves. If we can't fix it, we'll have to talk to the goblins and see if they can help,"

"Otherwise, we'll have to buy a new one," Uta finished with a sigh, "At the very least, we do have a lot of money stocked up,"

Aria hummed as she ate her piece of meat, "So...What have you told them about the food in this place?"

"That we use it as practice for when we're around humans," Uta replied while reaching out to grab a piece and shooing Kibou away from the table.

Nodding lightly, Aria settled down for a quiet breakfast with Uta.

* * *

As it turned out, Renji could fix the heater and did so after Aria managed to get Uta to stop provoking the silverette. Both Itori and Renji were surprised by the amount of control Aria had over Uta, they hadn't see Uta stop for any reason other than his own. Of course, Lana was quick to point out to the duo that the control went both ways.

* * *

When it was again time for Aria to leave, Uta once again tried to stop her. They had their usual argument with Aria winning and Uta beginning to sulk. Aria left Tokyo and landed in England the day after. She was met with Luna and Xenophilius. The trio left for the Lovegood's home via floo before getting settled. Luna demanded information and Aria told the blonde seer about what happened. When they finally went to sleep that night, Aria found herself sleeping peacefully without a nightmare in sight.

 **Short chapter, but it was a Christmas one. I will get one more chapter out before I turn my attention fully onto Hunter: The Witch. Love you guys and how did you like my introduction of Uta's two best-friends cannon-wise? I spent more time on Itori because she's a bit more fun to write than Yomo. Yomo will get more screen time come summer, but until then...**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **Okay, I just wanted to say that Thursday is coming up fast. This will be the last update until next week unless major inspiration hits. Now, if you don't like this story, don't read. Any insulting reviews or flames will be ignored.**

* * *

Aria looked over the map she stole from the twins a few days after break ended. It was an ingenious piece of work that showed not only the school, but where everyone in the building was. Aria had tested it out with Luna's help and could only grin at how useful it was for spying purposes. It was also useful for avoiding the more annoying of those stalking her. When told about the map, Uta had suggested that they learn how it was made and make their own.

With that in mind, Aria and Luna had been working on taking the map apart without damaging it's components. At the current moment, Aria was watching Dumbledore's office. The reason being is that she had over heard Hermione and Ronald talking about the headmaster requesting to meet them in his office. Luckily for Aria, she had discovered a secret passageway that led into a room just off the headmaster's office. The room was apparently sealed off from the headmaster's office, but still allowed sound to pass into it. Aria would be eavesdropping on their little meeting as something had been bugging her since she'd heard the worst of her stalkers talking about it.

Noticing the two moving from the Gryffindor tower, Aria began to make her way to the passageway that would take her to that secret room. When she reached it, Aria carefully made her way inside and moved closer to the wall that the room shared with the headmaster's office. She carefully settled down next to the sealed door and looked down at the map in her hand. With a soft whisper, her wand lit up dimly and she nodded upon seeing that the stalker duo were nearly in the office. Dumbledore was pacing around the room and Aria could vaguely hear him mutter softly under his breath. He stopped muttering and moved towards his desk as the stalker duo reached the tower. Soon enough, Aria heard the door opening and Dumbledore calling out, "Ronald, Hermione, I am so pleased you've made it. Come take a seat, do you either of you want a lemon drop?"

"No thank you, Professor," Hermione said while Ronald remained silent.

Dumbledore shuffled around before asking, "Now, have either of you managed to make contact with Aria?"

"No," Ronald spoke sounding slightly angry, "She's always managed to escape us and it's gotten to the point where neither of us see her outside of class,"

"I've seen in her in the library with Malfoy," Hermione chimed in, "I haven't been able to approach as Malfoy's goons have kept everyone away from the two,"

Ronald made a disgusted sound, "Sounds like the ferrets trying to get alone time with Potter."

Dumbledore sighed lightly, "It would seem that Mr. Malfoy is attempting to court Aria."

"What?!" Ronald shouted as Aria frowned, "I'm the one that's supposed to be courting Potter!"

Aria gagged at the thought and shook her head while mentally shaking her head. Dumbledore didn't know shit as Draco was teaching her about the high society of the English Wizarding world while she assisted him with his homework. She would admit that it was somewhat odd that they were never bothered during those sessions, but pushed that thought away as Dumbledore replied, "Yet you have no been able to make contact with her. Unless you make contact with her, you cannot begin to court her."

"It's impossible to come into contact with her!" Ronald hissed as a slamming sound echoed through the air followed by Hermione gasping out his name in a scolding fashion, "Shut it, Granger! Headmaster, she has somehow managed to avoid us and those tracking charms you've given us haven't been working. How the bloody hell are we supposed to get into contact with her if we can't find her?"

Dumbledore was quiet for a few moments, "I will remedy the situation as soon as possible. Calm down, Ronald."

There was a huff followed by the creaking of a chair, Hermione spoke up, "Headmaster, is all this truly necessary? I know you said that it was, but Aria doesn't seem like a bad person. She just seems to like being alone."

"Hermione," Dumbledore's tone was filled with disappointment, "Aria Potter has the potential to become the next Dark Lady. If we do nothing, she will become the biggest threat to the wizarding world. To protect our people, we must do whatever possible to control Aria. If it comes down to it, we may even need to kill her, but I doubt it will so long as we go along with my plan,"

"I-it just doesn't seem right," Hermione meekly replied.

"Did you know that I found Aria in Tokyo, Japan?" Dumbledore asked earning surprised gasps, "As you know doubt know, Hermione, Tokyo is one of the few places in the world with high concentrations of ghouls. While I do not know if it's true, I believe that she may have been in contact with one and might be assisting them in finding people to kill,"

"B-but Ghoul's are just myths!" Ronald protested loudly with wide eyes.

Dumbledore made a soft tsking sound, "No, they are very much real, Ronald. I've come across a few and have seen the devastation they can cause."

"And Potter has been around them?" Ronald squeaked with fear making Aria roll her eyes.

"I do believe so," Dumbledore paused as a faint roar sounded followed by a grunt, "Ah, Sirius my boy, you made it just in time. These are the two I was speaking of,"

"Pleasure," Sirius Black grunted, "Professor, can we be quick? I have a...friend that I'm meeting in an hour and want to be ready,"

Dumbledore chuckled, "Of course, Hermione, Ronald, I want you to meet Lord Sirius Black. Sirius, this is Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. They've been working on getting close to Aria."

"I see," Sirius sounded a little annoyed, "Dumbledore,"

Dumbledore sighed, "Ronald, Hermione, I will do my best to see that you get what you need. For now, I ask that you leave and head back to your dorms. It is getting rather close to curfew."

"Yes, Professor," The two chorused.

As soon as the two had left, Dumbledore spoke, "Have you managed it?"

"No assassin will make any deals with me," Sirius growled out, "Every single one I've talked to will not take a hit out on Lovegood. Apparently, they fear the wrath of Aria and what she will do,"

"I see," Dumbledore sounded annoyed, "We will have to do something. Perhaps use a house elf to poison him?"

Muttering softly under his breath, Sirius replied, "Kreacher has reported that the Lovegood's have anti-house elf wards around their house."

Dumbledore cursed softly, "It would seem we will need to find more options. Have you spoken with the Goblins again?"

"Yes and they told me that Aria Potter will remain in Lovegood's hands until such a time as she either hits seventeen or becomes emancipated," Sirius sounded more than a little pissed off, "They have also told me that if I continue to ask, I will find my vaults being audited. They also warned me against attempting to hire assassins. For some reason, they adore Aria and through her, Xenophilius and his brat,"

Dumbledore spoke in a strained voice, "Sirius, please go. I will contact you when I've come up with something do to."

"Do it soon," Sirius said as the sound of a chair scraping against the ground echoed through the air, "If we don't do something soon, Lovegood will have full custody of my goddaughter,"

Sirius left via floo and Dumbledore began cursing as booms filled the air. Knowing that it would be best to leave, Aria took off quickly and headed back to Ravenclaw. She barely managed to get into the tower as curfew fell. The perfect that had been about to leave looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "Cutting it a bit close, Potter?"

"Sorry," Aria offered him a sheepish smile, "I got caught up practicing for our next dueling class and barely noticed the time. I'll try to refrain from doing so again."

He nodded to her, "Go get your homework done or something, you have another hour before it's time for third years to go to bed."

"Noted," Aria made her way passed him and up to her dorm room where Luna was waiting, "Well, I need to owl your dad,"

Luna looked at her blankly before nodding with a serious look on her face, "I'll owl him too. He'll listen if we both do it. Aria, what will you do about Dumbledore?"

"I'll push back our research on the map while I start my research on ways to identify charms and cancel them," Aria settled on her bed after putting both the map and her bag down, "I was going to do it at some point, but it seems more important now,"

"Make sure you do the same for potions," Luna suggested as Aria took out her wand and began to put spells on her bed, "Make sure you add a protection against house elves, Dumbledore might use one to get your blood for a stronger tracking charm,"

"Do you have that spell? I meant to look it up a while ago, but never got the chance," Aria glanced at the blonde.

Luna told her the spell and Aria finished her spells with that. Once that was done, Aria got ready for bed before taking out her book on magical tattooing.

* * *

As the year passed on, Ronald and Hermione's efforts to get into contact with her increased dramatically. Aria still managed to avoid them, but found it was becoming harder and hard. Somehow, Dumbledore had improved his tracking charms without using her blood. It had Aria wondering if he'd stolen a piece of her hair or something which would explain it. While hair wasn't as strong as blood when it came to tracking someone, it was enough to make the spells more potent than usual. With that in mind, Aria hid away her brush and added the anti-house elf charm on her trunk as well as everything else she owned.

Aria noticed that Lupin was becoming more agitated as the year wore on until one day he randomly called her into his office. It was spring and nearly time for exams. Aria was more than a little angry at him seeing as she had quite a bit of studying to do for her ancient rune class. Lupin gestured to the seat across from him, "Sit down."

"I'd rather not, Professor," Aria replied while eyeing the man, "Is there a problem? I don't think I've been doing bad on my homework or classwork,"

"You've actually been doing perfectly fine," Lupin eyed her with slightly amber eyes, "My problem is that you don't smell right,"

"I don't smell right?" Aria offered him a look of confusion while inwardly panicking, "What do you mean?"

"You don't smell like you used to and you don't smell like either of your parents," Lupin replied with a small glare, "You do not smell like Aria Potter,"

Aria wanted to roll her eyes, "You do realize I was in a serious car accident a few months before school? I had to get a lot of organs replaced. My scent probably changed because of that, Mr. Werewolf," Lupin's eyes were wide, "Not to mention, I didn't grow up like either of my parents. Seeing as I was a baby back when you probably last saw me, my scent changed just like everyone else due to how I grew up," Aria took a deep breath before finishing with, "So why the hell does that mean I do not smell right? You do not know more nor have you actually tried."

"I-i wanted to bu-" Lupin began earning a snort from Aria.

"You're a werewolf and thus unable to properly raise a child?" Aria shook her head, "Did you know that my uncle abandoned me in Tokyo? In the fourth ward? I was nearly killed my first night in that hell hole by a starving ghoul," Lupin paled as Aria gave him a bored look, "If you had raised me, I wouldn't have been in that position. If you had raised me, I probably wouldn't have been in a major car accident, but you didn't. In the end, it comes down to the fact that you were too scared of yourself to take care of a child that needed you," Aria gave him a disgusted look, "The only reason I'm alive is due to luck and finding someone that actually cares about me. Unless you can tell me you did everything possible to take care of me, I will step out of this room. You will leave me alone and not have expectations of me that are completely off base due to your lack of commitment,"

"Aria, I-" Lupin began only to be silenced by a glare from Aria.

Aria had to swallow the urge to throttle the idiot, "If you think using your curse as an excuse, you're nothing but a sad little man that's too afraid to actually deal with your inner wolf. If you were as strong as my parents probably thought you were, you would beat your inner wolf into submission and ensure it knows your the boss," Turning away from him, "You are nothing to me, Lupin. I would advise you to leave me alone once the year is done. Unless you do as I suggested about your inner wolf, I never want to deal with you again."

With that, Aria opened the door and left the room without looking behind her. She didn't need to look at him to see the man beginning to cry as the scent of salt filled her nose.

* * *

It was the day after the exams ended that Aria received a missive from the Wizengamot. Aria glanced at Luna and the other curious faces of her fellow Ravenclaws. Humming lightly, Aria opened the letter and cleared her throat before reading it out:

 _Dear Heir Aria Potter,_

 _We, of the Wizengamot, are pleased to announce that as of yesterdays meeting, you now have a proper guardian. Your guardian is Xenophilius Lovegood until the day you either turn seventeen or get emancipated. We offer you congratulations and hope that this news finds you well. We look forward to the day you take your seats and join us._

 _Dorian Cross,  
Scribe of the Wizengamot_

Luna spoke as silence seemed to fill the hall, "It looks like the Wizengamot finally got rid of their wakaspurt infestation."

Aria let out a soft laugh, "Yeah, I suppose that means I get to go Snorkak hunting with you again this summer."

"It'll be so much fun!" Luna squealed while reaching out to hug her.

Aria patted her head while turning her head to look at Dumbledore. Dumbledore was staring at the letter in his hands as if he wanted to burn it to ash. He seemed to feel her gaze and looked up. Instead of meeting his eyes, Aria closed hers and grinned at him. Luna tugged at her shirt and Aria turned her head back while opening her eyes. Looking at Luna, Aria asked, "What?"

"Does this mean your my big sister?" Luna asked her in a soft voice.

Aria blinked at Luna in surprise, "Big sister? You want me to be your big sister?"

Luna nodded with a faint blush on her cheeks, "I've always wanted one."

Clearing her throat, Aria tried to ignore the feelings that seemed to explode in her chest, "I-if you want, I suppose I can be."

Luna squealed and hugged Aria against. Aria looked down at Luna and smiled softly. Huh, Aria had a little sister now.

* * *

Aria and Luna found that their luck was unfortunate in the form of having to share a carriage with Aria's worst stalkers. Aria silently cast the bubble head charm and turned to look out of the window as Luna stared at the two. Hermione cleared her throat, "Aria, how do you think your exams went?"

Inwardly groaning, Aria replied, "I think I passed them all."

"They were really difficult, weren't they?" Ronald asked her.

Aria grimaced lightly, "Not really, I actually found most of them easy. The only one that really gave me any trouble was the Rune exam, but that was due to me mixing up two of the runes."

Hermione opened her mouth only for Luna to cut in, "Can you wait to get home, Aria? We're going to be leaving the day after tomorrow for Germany."

Aria hummed softly, "I'm just glad we won't be stuck in Scotland for the summer. It'll be nice to travel a bit."

"That reminds me," Hermione burst in making Aria glare at her though the brunette didn't seem to notice, "Do you have any countries you'd recommend traveling to? I've been to France, but I want to head out of Europe,"

Hermione elbowed Ronald and he turned to glare at her. Hermione jerked her head towards Aria and his eyes widen before he started nodding, "Y-yeah! I wanted to travel out of Europe too."

"I've never really gone out of Europe before," Aria looked at them with narrow eyes, "Why do you ask?"

"I've been asking everyone," Hermione smiled brightly at Aria, "I'm just trying to figure out which country I should ask my parents about traveling to,"

Aria inwardly rolled her eyes while saying, "I would suggest China. It's was rather nice during that one trip I took with my relatives when I was younger. It was before the car accident."

Luna began adding random countries while adding some that didn't exist as far as Aria knew. Aria leaned back against the seal while mentally cheering Luna on for keeping them busy. When they finally exited the carriages, Aria grabbed Luna and bolted for the train while feeling immensely glad for the featherweight charms on both their trunks. Setsuko was already heading to the Lovegood's home which meant her cage was shrunken and sitting in Luna's pocket. Ceres hissed lightly as they finally got to their usual compartment, " _They are clumsier than Godric while drunk when it comes to being subtle."_

 _"Neither of them are in Slytherin for a reason,"_ Aria sighed deeply as she sank into her usual seat, _"I can't wait to get home,"_

 _"Agreed,"_ Ceres slipped into the seat beside her, _"It will be a relief to get out of that castle,"_

As Aria took out her sketchbook, the door opened to reveal Draco, "Aria."

"Draco," Aria greeted the blonde, "What can I do for you?"

Draco was slightly flushed as he asked, "As the Quidditch world cup is this year, I was wondering if you wanted to go with my family and I. My father is going to be getting tickets soon."

Aria shook her head lightly, "I may like flying, but Quidditch isn't my kind of thing."

"Oh.." Draco looked down, "I see. It was stupid of me to ask,"

"You never really asked, so you couldn't of known," Aria smiled at Draco, "Besides, I don't think I'll be back in England in time to see it,"

"So your summer is filled already?" Draco asked earning a nod, "Maybe next year?"

"Maybe," Aria nodded to him, "I hope you have a nice summer, Draco,"

"I do too," Draco flushed lightly, "I mean that I hope you have a good summer too. I got to go-"

Draco cut himself off and took off with a slightly pink face. Aria stared after him before shaking her head and deciding that he probably had a fever or something. Aria also decided to ignore the laughter rolling out of Luna as Ceres hissed something unintelligible. Somehow, she had a feeling that it was better to ignore it than pay it any mind.

* * *

Once again, the train station was filled with both parents and reporters. Aria was surprised to see that Black wasn't there, but put it out of her mind as the same reporter as last time, Skeeter, walked up, "Heir Potter."

"Ms. Skeeter," Aria greeted the reporter while looking around for Xenophilius, "What can I do for you this fine day?"

"I was hoping you would answer a few questions and perhaps give a statement," Skeeter smiled at her, "If it wouldn't be too much of a bother,"

Aria nodded lightly, "I don't see why not. Luna," The blonde looked at her, "Perhaps you could go see what's taking you dad so long."

Luna nodded and took off into the crowd. Skeeter beamed at Aria, "What will you be doing this summer?"

"I will be going out of the country with the Lovegood family," Aria replied with a light smile as cameras flashed, "I won't say where, but I will say that the trip is bound to be as enjoyable as every other not to mention educational,"

"Educational?" Skeeter asked her, "Could you perhaps clarify for the our readers?"

Smiling while noticing the twins and a group of ginger haired people standing off to the side, Aria said, "Xenophilius takes us to other countries in order to give us a broader view of the world which will assist us in the future. It also puts us into contact with places filled with rich culture which will only broaden our view even more. I always end up finding new styles of art that interest me."

"You're an artist?" Skeeter looked slightly surprised.

"I suppose that I am," Aria flushed lightly and looked away, "I enjoy drawing quite a bit and I believe I'm fairly good at it,"

Before Skeeter could ask anymore questions, Xenophilius walked up with Luna, "Ah, Aria. I apologize for the wait."

"It quite alright as Ms. Skeeter was keeping me company," Aria replied feeling relieved that Xenophilius had finally arrived.

"Before you go," Skeeter spoke up, "Could you give us that statement I asked for?"

"Of course," Aria nodded lightly.

"What do you think of the Wizengamot's decision about your guardianship," Skeeter questioned as cameras flashed and quills began to write.

Aria took a deep breath before saying, "I believe that they made the best decision possible and am glad they considered my opinions in this case. From my experience, adults tend to ignore the opinions and views of those they view as children because it is thought that the child in question is too immature. The fact that they took my opinions into consideration for their decision shows that they are doing their job."

"Based on your statement, can I assume that you do not view yourself as a child?" Skeeter offered her a raised eyebrow.

Aria looked at Skeeter with a frown, "How can one be a child when they've never had a chance? My relatives, the ones Dumbledore placed me with, were not kind to me. If anything, they were what many would call abusive. After all, my uncle thought it would be fun to abandon me in the slums of a country where I did not speak the language with the full intention of seeing me dead at the end. If that isn't abuse, I do not know what is," Aria took a deep breath, "If you have any questions, I suggest asking Dumbledore why he placed me there as well as the Ministry about why no one ever checked up on me. If you'll excuse us, Luna and I are tired. It has been a long day and we both are starving."

With that, Aria turned on her heel and stalked off. Xenophilius and Luna followed after her. Xenophilius only spoke once they'd reached the safety of the Lovegood family home, "Was that wise?"

"It is the beginning of Dumbledore's decent from his position and force him to answer questions he doesn't want to answer," Aria replied while taking off her shoes, "It will get the public to start questioning him. While it isn't much, it's a start,"

* * *

Luna laid down on the bed beside Aria and commented, "Dumbledore will increase his efforts to get you under his thumb."

"He'll learn that I will not be controlled," Aria replied as stared up at the ceiling.

Luna hummed lightly before saying, "I've been thinking."

"Oh?" Aria glanced at her, "Is this going to be part of your plan to see the world burn?"

Luna grinned at her, "Maybe. I think we should start checking out the animagus transformation."

Aria blinked slightly, "You want us to learn how to transform into the animal that represents us? Why?"

"It will be useful," Luna replied, "Not to mention, I want to see just what animal you are," She paused before adding, "And we need to get Daddy to teach us about the patronus charm,"

"Once I get back," Aria told her.

"Of course," Luna yawned softly and closed her eyes.

Aria was tempted to get the blonde to go to her own bed, but decided that it wasn't worth it. Aria missed sleeping beside someone and while Luna wasn't Uta, she would be good enough.

 **Well summer is almost here.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **Okay, I just wanted to say that Thursday is coming up fast. This will be the last update until next week unless major inspiration hits. Now, if you don't like this story, don't read. Any insulting reviews or flames will be ignored.**

* * *

To her surprise, Uta was waiting outside of the bank in the magical district. He silently held out a hand towards her and Aria took it as they headed towards the entrance. He spoke after a few moments, "I gathered a few more people. If things keep going the way they are, we will be able to take over the district this time next year."

Aria hummed lightly, "Guess we need to keep getting stronger."

"Think you can get another one of those meat boxes from the goblins?" Uta asked her in a light tone.

Aria nodded while glancing at him curiously, "Sure, but why?"

"You need to eat more ghoul meat," Uta replied as they reached the barrier and walked into mundane Tokyo.

Grimacing slightly, Aria nodded, "I'll talk to them about it though I doubt they'll supply it."

"If they give me the materials, I'll supply the box," Uta glanced at her, "I know you don't like it, but..."

"I get it," Aria shook her head lightly before remembering something she wanted to tell him, "I figured out something,"

"Oh?" Uta looked at her curiously as they wove through the crowds and avoided pickpockets.

Aria nodded feeling like grinning, "I figured out how we can get tattoos, but I'll need to test it out."

Uta perked up, "Whatever you need, we'll get it."

Aria nodded lightly as they made it to the train station. She reached up and touched her ears, "I think it's time I got my ears pierced as well. You already got a head start on that."

Uta smirked at her, "So earrings for you and tattoos for me?"

Aria snorted softly, "Not until I've worked out the kinks and can do good tattoos. I am not doing anything truly permanent on either of us until I've managed that."

"Fine," Uta sounded a little put out.

Aria shook her head with a snicker. Of course, Uta was all too eager to get stabbed repeatedly.

* * *

Itori looked at the tattooing machine that Aria was engraving runes into, "And what you're doing is going to let you tattoo ghouls without the ghoul's body rejecting it as a wound?"

Aria hummed lightly, "Theoretically. I'm still learning about runes, so I'll probably be changing them out a lot until I find the perfect set. Doing it on the needles is going to be a bit hard and I'll probably break a few until I learn how to do it properly."

"I still can't believe you're a witch and a hybrid at that," Itori looked at the piece of cake Lana had gotten Aria for when she took a break, "What does that even taste like?"

Aria paused after finishing the rune she'd been engraving and looked at the cake, "It tastes like chocolate with some vanilla and strawberries. The chocolate is very sweet with a slight bitterness to it that keeps the sweetness from being too much. The vanilla is sweet as well, but not as much as the chocolate and has a soft undertone that really brings out the richness of the chocolate. The strawberries are perfectly ripe making it sweet and juicy with a tartness that really brings everything together to make something truly delicious. Not to mention, the cake is fresh and moist which is how you want cake to be."

Itori pouted as Aria finished, "I wish I could eat cake and see what it tastes like for myself."

Aria returned to drawing her runes while contemplating making Itori something with the potion in it. Itori would definitely enjoy the experience and be more vocal than Uta had been about how good everything tasted. The downside would be that Itori would definitely want to take more of the potion and see as Aria hadn't been able to make anymore since the first batch, the potion would probably be gone soon. As it stood, they only had three more vials left and that was to be used for special occasions. Inwardly sighing, Aria said, "I'm looking into ways that ghouls can eat human food. It isn't going very well, but I'm sure I'll figure something out eventually."

"I hope you do," Itori laid back against the couch, "Where did Uta get off to?"

"Probably went to go grab the new people he picked up and bring them here to introduce me," Aria set down the machine as she finished engraving runes into it and picked up one of the needles, "That's done, I just need to get the needles,"

Itori glanced at the box of needles, "You're going to need all of them to figure this out, aren't you? Why not use plastic first?"

"Plastic isn't like metal and won't tell me how much pressure I need to use while drawing runes," Aria winced as the needle in her hand shattered and picked up another one, "Plastic won't conduct magic unlike metal. I can't tell you why, but we had discus this during class when one of the muggleborn students asked about why we aren't using pens and stuff,"

"But you use pens all the time," Itori protested.

Aria glanced at her as the next needle cracked and she tossed it to the side before grabbing another one, "That's because it's fine on everything save for the really important tests. With those, I use my quill because it will leave my magical signature on the paper and allow the teachers to figure out who's test it is if your handwriting isn't legible. To fool my teachers while doing homework, I use fountain pens which are actually easier to use than quills."

"Huh, that's really neat," Itori looked at the needle as it cracked before shattering, "So we're going to have to get more of those, aren't we?"

"Yup," Aria rolled her eyes lightly.

* * *

The group of people Uta had gathered since Aria left were comprised of four guys and a female. All of them were closer to Uta in age or a bit older. The female was older than Aria with greenish blonde hair and soft looking brown eyes. She pointed at Aria and demanded, "You want us to follow her as well?"

"Aria is second to me. If I'm not around and she is, you'll listen to her," Uta set his hands on the back of the couch behind Aria, "Is there a problem with that?"

"She's a brat!" The teen sneered at Aria.

Aria stared at her feeling a bit bored, "I'm thirteen almost fourteen. I am certainly not a brat."

"If you do not like it, you can leave Matsuko," Uta looked as bored as Aria felt leading her to wonder just why he kept 'Matsuko' around.

Matsuko froze with a surprised look on her face. Aria barely kept herself from snorting. Obviously, the teenager hadn't thought Uta would toss her aside just because she wouldn't listen to someone she viewed as a child. Matsuko shook her head lightly and backed up, "I'll stay."

Aria looked over the three males and smiled lightly, "I hope we all get along. If you can't find Uta and need something, I'm always available during the summer."

They nodded to her and Uta spoke, "For now, I believe you all should go and start getting information on the more powerful ghouls in the ward. If I'm going to be taking over, I need to know who I'll have to fight and who I'll have to kill. Go."

They all left quickly and Aria looked up at Uta, "You do realize that she'll probably be gunning for me, right?"

"They need to see how strong you are," Uta walked around the couch and sat down after grabbing his sketchpad, "How is everything?"

"I've gotten the machine runed, but the needles are a bit hard," Aria picked up another needle and began attempting to engrave it, "I'm going to need more needles soon,"

"I'll make sure you get some," Uta picked up a pencil and opened his sketchpad as Aria shifted to lean against him.

* * *

Dodging the 'tail' that had come swinging at her, Aria looked to see Matsuko attached to the grayish red bikaku kagune. Inwardly sighing, Aria spoke, "It hasn't even been a two days since we met and you're already trying to kill me. Why?"

"Some brat like you shouldn't be Uta's second," Matsuko hissed at her, "That place should be mine, I'm going to be his girlfriend after all,"

"Girlfriend?" Aria looked at her in disbelief, "All this because you want Uta and think I'm in the way? I don't give a shit about if he has a girlfriend or not so long as they care for him. Hell, I would be happy since they'd make sure he took care of himself while I'm away at school,"

Matsuko paused looking at Aria in surprise, "You don't want to be his girlfriend?"

"He's my best-friend and we grew up together after he saved me when I was five," Aria shook her head lightly, "Why would I want to be his girlfriend? Uta's great and all, but romance isn't on my mind,"

Matsuko blinked at Aria as her kagune dissipated, "Seriously?"

"I'm almost fourteen," Aria deadpanned, "Why would I care about how cute boys are when I have a lot of stuff I need to learn? Romance can wait until I'm older,"

Matsuko walked over while eyeing Aria, "Somehow, I get the feeling you didn't have much feminine influence growing up."

"I'm an orphan like Uta and my relatives were more than happy to abandon me in the ghoul infested streets of Tokyo in hopes of seeing me dead," Aria deadpanned, "I didn't make any female friends until I met Luna back when I was twelve,"

"You poor, poor, poor brat," Matsuko shook her head lightly, "Guess that means I'll have to take you under my wing with Itori. Please tell me you know about cycles and stuff,"

Aria flushed lightly, "My school nurse walked me through everything."

"Poor brat," Matsuko held out her hand, "My names Matsuko and you are?"

"Aria," Aria took Matsuko's hand and wondered how disappointed Uta will be when he finds out they didn't fight, "Can we talk about something else?"

"Sure thing," Matsuko looked at Aria's clothes, "First things first, you need new clothes,"

* * *

Uta looked up as Aria walked into the apartment with Itori carrying multiple shopping bags, "Clothes?"

"I apparently needed new ones," Aria wondered if she'd ever stop blushing, "Matsuko decided I needed feminine influences,"

"I thought she was going to attack you," Uta looked at her curiously.

"She did, but we ended up bonding when I told her that I wasn't interested in romance until I was older," Aria shook her head lightly, "I'm an almost fourteen year old girl. Why the hell would I want romance?" Aria noticed the look on his face and shook her head, "Not answering that," She took the other bags from Itori and headed back to the bedroom, "Thank you Itori!"

Itori looked at Uta, "How did she know what you were going to ask?"

"She knows me," Uta replied with a curious look in his eyes, "Why was she blushing?"

"Oh, she needed to try on new bras and underwear," Itori informed him with a grin, "She was absolutely mortified when we took her into the shop and made her model them for us,"

Aria shouted from their bedroom, "Mean!"

Itori burst out into giggles while Uta chuckled in amusement. It was odd that Aria had no problem getting covered in blood save for the fact it was hard to get it out of their clothes, yet she had trouble with modeling underwear. Uta mentally shook his head and decided that he wouldn't tease her about it until after Itori left. She had apparently been through a rather tiring day. He did wonder about what Aria hadn't told him about when it came to dealing with Matsuko. He was somewhat surprised that the two hadn't fought and began to plan out how to ensure the members of their group understood that Aria was strong enough to be his second.

* * *

With a cheer, Aria jumped up and shouted, "I did it! I finally managed to get one of these engraved!"

Uta looked up from his sketch pad, "So now we just need ink and we can start working on getting proper tattoos."

Aria nodded while returning to her former seat and putting the needle down, "I'll start engraving more of these."

"Try to vary it," Uta suggested as he returned to his sketching, "We have no idea if that array will work or not,"

"Very true," Aria hummed lightly as she started working, "I wonder if we'll have to make special ink as well. At the very least, we may have to use ghoul blood in the ink to ensure the body accepts it,"

"We'll figure it out," Uta glanced at her, "I was thinking that we'll get your ears pierced on your birthday,"

Aria hummed in acknowledgement before focusing completely on her current task.

* * *

True to his word, Uta present Aria the ink before they left to get her ears pierced. They ended up in the fifth ward where a small tattooing shop sat and headed inside where the ghoul in charge greet Uta with a grin, "Ah, my favorite little badass. Who's your lady friend?"

"This is Aria, the one I was told you about," Uta pushed her forward, "Aria, this is Roman Blakely. He's a ghoul from Australia that managed to travel here,"

"It's nice to meet you," Aria stared at the tall and heavy set ghoul.

He had slightly pale skin with shaggy green hair and light orange eyes. He grinned at her, "Ah, the little lady of the hour. How does it feel turning fourteen?"

"I don't feel any diffrent," Aria replied earning a nod and a gesture to the chair.

Aria sat down as Roman asked, "So how do you want to do this? Uta told me that you want to have at least three in your cartilage and one in your lobe."

"I think I'll work up to the three," Aria replied as Uta settled on a nearby stool, "For now, I think I'll just do the one in my lobe,"

Roman inclined his head and pulled out a tray, "Take a look at these and pick out a pair while I go get everything ready."

Uta took the tray after he pulled the stool over and looked over the studs with her. When Roman came back, they had decided on a pair of medium sized stainless steel studs. Roman took the tray and began to prep her ears as Aria asked, "How does this work?"

"The needles are made of old quinque parts that got discarded," Roman explained while taking out a mirror, "You think those look good?"

Aria looked at them and nodded, "How did you get that stuff?"

"A buddy of mine works with the guys that get rid of the stuff when the doves toss it," Roman explained, "To be quite honest, I think it's the only thing that can pierce a ghouls skin outside of a kagune,"

Aria looked at Uta and he shrugged lightly. If the needles didn't work out, they could always use needles made of old quinque parts. Roman pierced her ears and the pair left with promises to return soon. Uta looked down at her as they walked, "You have that look on your face. What are you planning?"

Aria blinked at him, "Merely thinking of the future, I really hope that the needles work as I doubt we'll ever find good quinque stuff. Even if we do, I doubt we'll have a steady supply of it."

"We'll figure it out," Uta smiled at her, "We always do,"

"Copy cat," Aria laughed softly as they headed for the train station.

* * *

The first time Aria encountered a dove was when she decided to go out hunting with Lana while Uta was busy with the little gang he'd gathered. The dove was a female with caramel colored hair and black eyes. She had come across them after they killed a ghoul and were starting to eat. Aria was glad that the two had taken to wearing their masks during these hunts. The dove gasped and covered her mouth, "You two."

"Easy," Aria held up her blood stained hands, "There isn't any need to fight, he was a ghoul,"

"Ghoul?" The dove looked at the two in disgust, "Even your own kind isn't safe from you monsters,"

"Monsters?" Lana seemed to unfreeze and snarled at the dove, "We're not the monsters here. You fucking doves are. You kill innocent ghouls that are merely trying to live a peaceful life,"

The dove sneered at Lana, "All ghouls need to die, you monster. you'll kill us all."

Lana let out a soft sound and began to dart forward. Aria grabbed her and pulled the turtle mask wearing female back. Frowning at the investigator, Aria said, "Words like that show the monster within you and your naivety, Investigator. Humans kill each other everyday as do ghouls, wouldn't you agree?" Lana shifted in Aria's hold, "The hate you feel towards us should be directed at those killers as well, yet it isn't. Why is it that every murder a human does it put at the feet of ghouls?" The dove looked surprised and confused, "Because you seek to demonize those that you can be bothered to understand."

"You kill and eat people!" The dove shouted while drawing her quinque, "Shut the hell up, you monster!"

Aria jumped back and turned to push Lana away while whispering, "Go get Uta, I'll hold her off. He should be close by."

"What about you?" Lana hissed softly, "She'll hurt you,"

"I can handle it," Aria retorted while pushing her, "Go! I'll be fine,"

Lana was reluctant, but nodded and took off, "Don't die!"

"I won't," Aria promised her before turning to the dove.

"Your friends running away. So much for how you ghouls 'care' for one another like humans," The dove sneered and Aria shook her head lightly.

Sighing, Aria looked at the woman, "We do not need to commit any needless violence. Why can't we just ignore one another and leave?"

"Like hell!" The woman dove forward and slashed her sword shaped quinque down at Aria.

Jumping backwards, Aria observed her opponent with an internal sigh. She had hoped that Uta had been wrong and not all doves sought to kill every ghoul they possibly could. Dodging the next slash, Aria kicked outward and managed to send the woman flying. Darting forward, Aria threw a punch and followed up with another as the dove dodged the first. Doing a back flip to avoid the slash heading for her, Aria kicked outward and used the woman's chest to propel herself away from the dove. Activating her kagune, Aria said, "You still have time. Leave now and I won't kill you."

"Go die in a hole!" The woman snarled while muttering, "Ukaku kagune with reddish yellow 'feathers' outlined with purple. They look almost like flames,"

Aria sighed out loud, "Very well."

With that, Aria began her attack while hoping Uta and the others would arrive soon. While she could take this one, Aria didn't doubt the woman's partner was nearby. Aria's crystal projectiles managed to hit and the woman began to slow down. Finally, Aria managed to embed one of her crystals in the woman's stomach followed by two more in her kidneys. The woman cried out in pain, 'Y-you bitch."

"It's your own fault, Investigator," Aria replied while looking around, "Where is your partner? Don't you doves usually fly in pairs?"

Aria got her answer by way of quinque flying towards her. Dodging the projectile, Aria saw a man appear. He wore the same grey coat as the woman and looked rather plain. The only non-plain thing about him were his eyes. They were an icy blue that seemed to be filled with fire as he glared at her. He let out a soft cry, "Cora."

"D-Dai," The woman gasped out, "I'm sorry I didn't wait for you,"

"Foolish," The man shook his head, "Just hand on, you'll be fine,"

Aria felt a bit bad as she watched the two. Hearing footsteps, she turned her head and noticed Uta standing on the roof with everyone. Seeing the look on his face, Aria internally sighed before turning back to the two investigators, "I hit her stomach and both her kidneys. Unless she receives assistance soon, she'll die."

The man let out a roar of anger and grabbed the quinque on the ground, "I'll kill you!"

"So violent," Aria dodged the attack and sent more of her crystals towards the dove.

He dodged them only to freeze as his partner cried out. Aria shook her head as he screamed, "Cora."

"D-da-" She coughed out before collapsing.

The man screamed his grief and Aria shook her head lightly. With a swish of her kagune, she sent Dai to the ground with crystals burrowed deeply into his flesh. Uta jumped down along with the others as Aria walked over to the man. She spoke as he attempted to reach for his quinque, "Still you continue to fight after you've lost your partner. Why?"

"She was mine," He spat at her before crying out as Uta crushed his hand, "And you killed her. Before I die, I will kill you,"

"Well your dead and she isn't," Uta replied making the man look at him, "Bye, bye little dove. I hope you enjoy your time in hell,"

With that, Uta crushed the dove's neck. Aria looked at the two doves as Uta wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Lana spoke up, "Guess you were right about handling it."

"Let's go celebrate," Itori shouted with a grin.

Uta had two of the group grab the quinques much to everyone's confusion. Aria walked with Uta and he asked, "You alright?"

"I'm fine," Aria grimaced beneath her mask, "Times like this, I wonder why the world is filled with so much hate,"

"It's nature," Uta replied, "Just as greed makes the world go round, hate does too,"

"It's disgusting," Aria muttered softly.

"It's why the world needs to burn," Uta tightened his grip on her as she jolted.

Aria looked at him for a few moments before shaking her head and taking off her mask, "I'm going to regret allowing you to meet Luna. Aren't I?"

"Perhaps," Uta smiled at her, "Only time will tell,"

Aria leaned against him, "True."

* * *

About two weeks before Aria was due to return to England, Uta captured a ghoul and they tried out the tattooing machine that Aria had been working on. It worked just fine, but the needless shattered after a few minutes. The crappy looking tattoo Aria had done flaked off soon after. Aria looked at Uta, "I guess we'll need to find someone that can mold those quinques into tattooing needles for us since they won't shatter."

"Yeah," Uta looked at the machine, "At the very least, the runes you placed on that seem to be working,"

Aria set down the machine, "We should also mix ghoul blood into our inks."

"I'll get everything ready by Christmas," Uta killed the ghoul they'd been using for testing, "Have you talked to the goblins?"

"We'll have everything two days before I leave," Aria tore off a finger and began to snack on it.

Uta nodded, "So everything is starting to fall into place."

They ate in silence for a few moments before Aria murmured, "Is it odd that I'm having trouble believing that everything is going the way we want it?"

Uta looked at her for a little while before shaking his head, "No. With everything that has happened before, I don't blame you."

Aria swallowed the meat in her mouth, "U, I have a bad feeling about this year. I don't know what, but I really think something bad is going to happen."

"Maybe you should stay here," Uta suggested, "If something bad is going to happen, it would be better for you to stay here. At the very least, you wouldn't be alone if something happens,"

"I'll think about it," Aria told him.

* * *

In the end, Aria went back to England while promising to keep Uta informed about everything. Whatever was going to happen, Aria knew it would be worse if she didn't return.

 **Fourth year is here! Next Update will be after next Thursday unless I get hit with inspiration.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **Okay, I just wanted to say that Thursday is coming up fast. This will be the last update until next week unless major inspiration hits. Now, if you don't like this story, don't read. Any insulting reviews or flames will be ignored.**

* * *

Aria looked at the paper and muttered, "Well that is a definite indicator of the year not being a good one."

"It isn't that bad," Luna retorted weakly.

"Oh yeah, Ireland won with Bulgaria catching the snitch," Aria mock looked closer and gave a loud gasp, "Oh look at this, the world cup was attacked by Death eaters. This is totally a sign that everything will be fine this year," Aria deadpanned, "I'll believe it when I see it,"

She balled up the news paper and tossed it out of the train window before sitting back down. Luna sighed softly, "What do you want me to do, Aria?"

"Nothing," Aria shook her head lightly, "I don't want to know what happens in the future no matter how tempting it is. I've read all about those self-fulfilling prophecies and I'm not about to deal with one of my own," Aria noticed as Luna's abnormally pale features returned to their normal shade, "You don't have to worry about me using you like that,"

"I know, but it's nice to have some confirmation," Luna glanced at the door, "First visitor,"

Aria glanced at the door and saw Hermione opening it. With an eye roll, Aria looked down at her sketchpad, "Granger."

"Aria, I was hoping to hear about your summer," Hermione smiled at Aria.

Aria looked up at Hermione as a wicked idea appeared in her mind. Thanks to a suggestion from Luna, Aria had gotten Professor Flitwick's permission to bring Ceres to school as her 'pet' since Setsuko had firmly settled herself with Luna. Smiling slightly, Aria said, "I got a new pet seeing as Setsuko is rather taken with Luna."

"Oh?" Hermione looked at Aria eagerly, "What kind of pet? Is it a cat? I have one and he could definitely use a new friend,"

Aria waved Hermione over and the bookish girl came closer, "My pet isn't exactly a normal one and I had to get permission from Professor Flitwick. I'd like to keep it quiet until my house mates have been informed. Alright?"

"Of course!" Hermione looked excited at getting a chance to gain Aria's trust.

Aria fake hissed making Hermione pale and Ceres poked his head from inside her bag where he'd settled himself for the train ride. Hermione's eyes widened as Ceres stared at her and slowly slithered into Aria's lap. Aria stroked the smooth scales on his head while carefully avoiding the sharp spikes that could pierce ghoul skin like paper, "This is Ceres, I recently rescued him from some poachers during our trip. Beautiful, isn't he?"

"A-a s-snake?" Hermione squeaked while staring at Ceres with wide eyes and pale skin, "W-why not a cat?"

"I thought about getting a cat, but I connected with Ceres," Aria smiled innocently at Hermione, "He can talk too. Say hi, Ceres,"

" _Hello, bookish spy,"_ Ceres hissed at Hermione.

Hermione shook her head, "I didn't understand a word."

"You didn't?" Aria's eyes widened before her face fell in mock sadness, "Oh, I guess I'm the only one that can understand him. Everyone else can't,"

"I-i need to go," Hermione squeaked out, "I-i need to go find one of my other friends,"

Aria nodded with a mock disappointed look on her face, "You'll keep quiet about him, right? You did promise."

"I-i will," Hermione stuttered as she opened the door and quickly left.

Aria let out a laugh as Luna giggled and said, "That was mean, Aria."

"That was payback for how annoying she's been," Aria corrected while Ceres coiled himself around her neck.

Luna shook her head as Draco walked in through the open compartment door, "I just saw Granger running off. What...did...y...you..."

"Draco, this is Ceres," Aria smiled at the blonde, "I saved him from poachers during vacation and he's been with me since. By the way, is there a magical ability that allows people to speak with snakes?"

Draco continued to stare at Ceres with wide eyes for a few moments before shaking his head, "Ah, yeah. Why?"

"I seem to be the only one able to understand Ceres," Aria looked at him with wide eyes, "Is that ability rare?"

Draco paled slightly as he nodded, "Y-yeah. Only the Slytherin family had that ability."

"Maybe I'm a descendant," Aria mused softly before shaking her head and asking, "How was your vacation?"

"It was nice," Draco smiled at her, "So you get to go to Hogsmeade this year?"

Aria hummed lightly, "Yeah, it'll be fun look around with you and Luna. You have to show us the best places to go to."

"Of course," Draco looked at Luna as the seer spoke up.

"Ah, Draco, your dad is high up in the Ministry and a member of the board of governors for the school, right?" Luna asked earning a slight nod, "Why were dress robes listed on Aria's list?"

Draco perked up, "I'm not supposed to say it, but since we're allies, I thought that it might be a good idea. There's going to be a tournament this year between the three major schools in Europe, the dress robes are for the ball that occurs during Yule."

"Huh," Aria took out her list, "They should have put that down. I didn't buy any since they didn't seem necessary,"

"I guess you'll have to go dress robe shopping at some point," Draco flushed lightly as he rubbed the back of his neck, "If you want, I could go with you and help you find something suitable. My mother likes dressing up and I spent a lot of time with her when I was younger, so I could help you out,"

Smiling at Draco, Aria shook her head, "While that sounds nice, I'll have to decline. I'm not much of a dancer and spending Christmas in Hogwarts isn't that appealing," She paused as Draco's face fell, "But I suppose that if my decision changes, I'll need a set, so please don't look so disappointed. We aren't even close to Christmas and my mind might change before then."

Draco brightened up, "I'll keep that in mind. For now, I should head back to my compartment. I look forward to our study sessions."

"I do as well," Aria replied and watched Draco leave, "He seems happy,"

"He might ask you the ball if you decide to go," Luna replied earning an eye roll, "You won't be able to deny it forever, Aria,"

"Draco doesn't like me like that," Aria looked down at her sketchpad, "Honestly, I have no idea where you're getting that absurd idea,"

Luna merely giggled as Aria worked on her sketch.

* * *

Aria found her interest peaked when it was revealed that the defense professor was a retired auror. It meant that she would probably be getting very useful knowledge. He was a rather ugly looking old man with a magical glass eye. If those around her were telling the truth, Moody would be one of the best professors in the school even if it was only for a single year. When Aria looked at professor Flitwick, he smiled at her and inclined his head meaning that they would be continuing their dueling lessons.

* * *

Aria was not surprised when Dumbledore called her into his office not even an hour into the first day. She looked at the old man as Ceres sat on her shoulders, "Headmaster, I assume this is about Ceres?"

"Indeed," Dumbledore looked slightly pale as he saw Ceres' head laying close to her neck, "I am afraid you'll have to-"

Aria took out the note she'd gotten from Professor Flitwick along with the paperwork the goblins had happily forged for her, "These documents will inform you that your plans to remove Ceres from me during the school year are futile, Ceres is my familiar and I've already gotten permission from Professor Flitwick. If you wish to say no, I am legally allowed to leave the school due to you breaking one of the rules. Rule thirteen section B states that if a witch or wizard has a familiar, they need only have the documents proving that and the permission of their head of house to bring said animal to school. As being away from your familiar causes great pain and damage after a period of time, I can legally leave the school and sue you for endangering my health. As the other schools will be here quite soon, I can easily apply to become a student at one of them."

Aria finished speaking and took a much needed breath as Dumbledore looked through the documents for any fault. Seeing as it was done by the goblins and with how much they loved to fuck over the wizards, the documents were perfect and the goblins had already had a copy of them placed in the Ministry. When Dumbledore handed her the papers back, he looked to be struggling with his temper, "I see. I suppose that you are correct though I ask that you leave...Ceres was it?" Aria nodded slightly, "Outside of class."

"Of course, Professor Flitwick has already agreed to set up something for him to rest inside while I'm learning," Aria stroked Ceres' scales, "If that is all, I need to head to Professor Flitwick's office so we can work on Ceres' tank together,"

"There was one more thing I wished to discuss with you," Dumbledore replied earning a curious look from Aria, "You are able to speak with Ceres, correct?"

Aria's eyes widened in mock surprise, "H-how did you find out?"

"Ms. Granger came to me and told me. She is rather concerned about you having a rather dark ability," Dumbledore replied with a sullen expression.

"Dark?" Aria shook her head lightly, "Headmaster, my ability isn't dark. I spoke to a rather nice gentlemen from India over the summer and he told me that my ability is highly regarded in his country," Aria could see the Headmaster's eyes widening before darkening in anger, "We're planning a trip during Christmas to go to India. Since my ability is rare, I can really help the people there,"

"But Ms. Potter there is a ball this year," Dumbledore protested immediatly, "Do you really want to waste the dress robes you bought?"

"I didn't buy any," Aria retorted with a soft snort, "I feel no need to dress up for an event that I do not plan on going to. Christmas has been a rather nice holiday for me and I have no intention of staying in Hogwarts especially now that I have a family that cares about me,"

Aria turned and left the office with Ceres hissing at Dumbledore with a glare. He muttered softly, " _I do not like that man. He smells horrible."_

 _"And he'll probably taste horrible,"_ Aria replied as they walked through the halls earning looks of shock from the school, " _I really don't want to see what he tastes like, but..."_

 _"It will be a way to ensure you're safe,"_ Ceres finished while nuzzling her lightly, _"Things will get better, Hatchling,"_

 _"I know, but waiting for that to happen is annoying,"_ Aria reached up to stroke the scales under his 'chin' earning a hiss of pleasure from the basilisk.

* * *

The year seemed to pass quickly until they had reached October and the day that the champions would arrive. Due to Dumbledore's instance that they stand outside waiting for the other schools for a few hours, every year above second got a lot of practice with the warming charm. Aria tugged on the jacket she was wearing and grimaced as she noticed that it was getting a bit too tight. Luna spoke up from behind her, "It looks like you'll need a new jacket."

"Mhmm," Aria unzipped it to just below her chest and felt relieved that she could breath properly.

Due to Matsuko and Itori's influence, Aria realized that she had a bigger chest size than most of the girl's her age and it would only get bigger as time went on. One of the more irritating results was hitting her at this moment. A bigger chest size means that she'd have to get a new jacket which was something she wasn't looking forward to what with this jacket being one of the most comfortable items in her entire wardrobe. Inwardly sighing, Aria looked up in time to see the gigantic carriage fly over head. She heard whispers echo around her as Luna muttered, "Abraxan."

"So have to draw them," Aria murmured in reply as she took in the beautiful winged horses.

The door to the carriage was opened and a giant woman exited the carriage. The woman had to be Hagrid's size or almost his size. She was followed out by a group of shivering girls and boys dressed in dark blue clothing. Obviously, they hadn't planned for how cold Scotland was for most of the year outside of late spring and summer. Aria's nose twitched as the scent of salt increased along with the sound of something moving through the water of the lake. It had a diffrent pitch and weight compared to the giant squid. It was also a lot bigger and smelt more heavily of magic. Turning her head to the lake, Aria's keen eyes spotted the disturbance in the water. As she heard someone mutter, "Where the hell is the other school? My warming charm is wearing off."

"The lake," Aria called out, "Look towards the lake, I think something wrong with the water!"

As one, everyone turned just in time to see a ship rise out of the water. It looked like one of those old pirate ships only in better condition save for a few things that even magic couldn't protect from the ravages of time. A group of warmly dressed boys in red and fur strode off of the ship with a man leading them. As they walked, Aria felt her heart beat quicken at the sight of one of them. He had bright almost white grey eyes and dark reddish brown hair. As if sensing the eyes on him, he glanced over and smirked at her making Aria's heart beat a bit faster as her cheek flushed.

When he looked away as the other school walked into Hogwarts, Aria managed to calm down and wonder: What the fuck had just happened?

* * *

Dumbledore completed his announcement with, "And the goblet will be placed within the entrance hall. Every student seventeen or older may try their hand at becoming the champion. For now, I hope you all will enjoy this rather fitting feast!"

Food covered the table and Aria's mouth watered at so many interesting dishes. She began to fill her plate with a bit of everything as one of the French girl's said, "You all looked rather surprised. Why?"

"Hogwarts doesn't normally serve such a large variety," Aria explained after swallowing her first mouthful of food, "Unless you consider the desserts, you can always find something new if you look,"

"Doesn't that get boring?" The girl asked her as the others looked at Aria curiously.

Aria shrugged lightly, "A bit, but that's how England is. Japan has a far larger variety of foods available."

"Japan?" A deep voice spoke from the other side of the table, "I have heard stories, but not many magicals are able to travel there,"

Aria shivered slightly as that voice seemed to caress her ears and turned to see the boy that she'd seen earlier. Flushing lightly, Aria said, "I-i spent a g-good portion of m-my childhood t-there."

"Oh?" The boy smiled lightly, "Perhaps you would be willing to talk about cultural differences with me? I can never find a good companion for such discussions,"

"U-uh," Aria's mind seemed to stop working.

Luna elbowed her lightly and said, "I think my big sister would love to. What's your name?"

"Seth Furveil," He held out his hand to Aria.

Aria cleared her throat, "Aria Potter."

Seth's eyes widen slightly and his smile widened, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Potter. I would like to extend my condolences for losing your parents. I lost my father when I was very young and even then, I doubt my experiences will ever measure up to your own."

Aria opened her mouth before closing it as someone shouted and Seth sighed deeply. Luna smiled at him, "I think your friends are calling for you."

"I suppose they are," Seth smiled at Aria, "I hope we can speak soon, Aria,"

"I do too," Aria sighed as he walked away.

Giggles broke out as soon as he was gone, Aria felt her cheeks heat up and glared at Luna. She merely smiled at Aria, "So Seth is interesting, isn't he?"

"I guess," Aria turned back to her food with a frown on her face, "Why couldn't I speak normally?"

"Did your heart race?" The same french girl from earlier asked.

"Did it feel like your tongue was lead?" Another asked while leaving forward.

"Did you feel light headed?" Another asked.

"Y-yeah," Aria looked at them, "Why?"

"You my dearest child have a crush on the handsome Mr. Furveil," The first french girl grinned at her.

Aria's eyes widen and she gaped at her, "A-a crush? I have a crush? I do not have a crush."

"Oh you do," She retorted with a soft laugh, "And it sounds like your first one. It's normal to be in denial about it, so don't feel so surprised. You're a young girl after all, so it's quite natural that your hormones are coming into effect,"

Aria mentally groaned before asking, "It isn't permanent is it?"

"It'll fade," The girl replied before sticking out her hand, "My names Ariana Salvatore,"

"You already heard my name," Aria replied taking her hand, "I hope it fades soon. I really don't need that kind of thing right now,"

"It's diffrent for everyone," Ariana shrugged as she released her hand and went back to eating.

Aria felt like banging her head against the table. Look at this, she told Matsuko that romance wasn't important until she was old and her damn hormones decided to kick in. She began to eat her dinner once more. At the very least, she didn't have a crush on Uta. That would be even more embarrassing since they lived together, Aria was glad that she had a crush on a stranger. At the very least, it wouldn't be awkward once it faded away.

* * *

Looking at the various students as they went up to the goblet and put their names in, Aria could only shake her head. Ariana looked at Aria curiously, "What's with that look?"

"I don't see the point in doing something like that," Aria gestured to her sketchbook, "This is more interesting than life threatening challenges, I mean sure they get 'fame' and 'glory' with a nice prize. But what if someone get's seriously hurt? With how wizards don't normally use common sense, it's an accident ridden death game just waiting to happen. I bet the first task is some kind of dangerous beast like a chimera or nundu,"

Ariana shuddered and muttered, "You might have a point about that. So even if you could, you wouldn't put your name in?"

"Only a suicidal idiot would put their name in," Aria shook her head, "I have a life that I really want to live and plans to fulfill. I have no intention whatsoever to put my life on the line for the entertainment of idiots," Aria scented the twins and turned her head, "Well, it looks like we're about to get some entertainment,"

The twins did a small spiel about becoming the champion of Hogwarts and downed their aging potion before stepping through the age line. With a great amount of amusement, Aria watched as the two's plan failed spectacularly and left the hall after a brief fight. Aria stiffened as she heard Seth say, "Hogwarts has a very interesting student body."

"The twins are pranksters," Aria wouldn't let herself get tongue tied around this guy just because of a stupid crush, "Amusing people is their entire reason for existence. They wish to open up a joke shop when they're older and I believe it will be successful,"

"Friends of yours?" Seth asked as he sat down beside Aria.

Aria glanced at him before shrugging, "Acquaintances more like it, we haven't spent much time together during the last few years."

"A shame as they seem like the type to be rather interesting friends," Seth replied earning nod from Aria and he glanced down at the sketch she'd been doing, "You're rather good at that,"

"Huh?" Aria looked down at her sketch, "Eh, it isn't that good compared to what my best-friend can do. He's an amazing artist and was the person that first started me on drawing," She smiled lightly as she thought of Uta, "He keeps getting better every year,"

"He sounds like an interesting person," Seth spoke in a slightly stilted tone.

"Interesting is one way to describe him," Aria shook her head lightly and looked at Seth, "You use interesting to describe things a lot,"

Seth let out a light laugh and rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry, it just seems like the best word to describe things. Like your eyes for example," He looked right in her eyes, "I've never seen eyes like yours. The colors are so vivid, yet don't take attention away from the others."

Aria felt her cheeks heat up and she looked away feeling her heart beat quicken, "My eyes are a result of a major accident."

"Oh?" Seth sounded curious, "What happened?"

"I was in an automobile accident that killed my aunt and uncle while leaving my cousin alive," Aria moved her bangs behind her ears, "I barely survived and it was only due to having a few of my organs being replaced that I survived. My magic somehow got involved and ensured that the people I got my replacement organs from would never be forgotten. At least, it what I think happened with my eyes,"

Seth made a soft sound, "Since magic does as it wishes, you're probably right."

Aria glanced at him and noticed the time. With a small groan, Aria closed her sketchpad and stood up, "I gotta get going. My head of house and I are meeting to touch up the enchantments on my snake's terrarium."

"S-snake?" Seth's rather delicious scent was tinted with fear.

"Yeah," Aria smiled at him, "Is that a problem?"

"N-no," He shook his head, "I-i'm just not a fan of them is all,"

Aria shrugged and headed off to go meet with Professor Flitwick. Some people just didn't do well with snakes, it had taken Lana awhile to get used to Ceres after all, so Aria didn't hold it against Seth.

* * *

As they put the final touches on the terrarium, Aria asked, "Professor, could you help me with something?"

"What's wrong?" Professor Flitwick looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Luna and I were looking up spells over the summer," Aria replied while engraving runes onto the lid of the terrarium, "Two spells really got our attention. One is a charm while the other is a transfiguration. I was hoping that you might be able to help us and perhaps the other Ravenclaw students learn the charm,"

"And what charm are you looking into?" Professor Flitwick's voice belayed his interest.

"The Patronus charm," Aria glanced up at him, "It seems like a really useful charm even for instances when Dementors are no present what with it's messenger capabilities,"

Professor Flitwick finished the last spell they needed and Aria set the lid onto the terrarium as he replied, "I don't see why not as that spell can be very useful. It will be difficult for everyone, but perhaps that's just what they need to become even better magicals."

"So, you'll teach it to us?" Aria asked earning a nod and grinned, "Cool! I tell Luna,"

"So what other spell got your interest?" Professor Flitwick asked her.

Aria dusted herself off, "It's not a spell, but more of a transformation. The animagus form. It seems really useful especially if the animal is incredibly common."

Professor Flitwick jolted slightly, "The animagus transformation? That's a high level of magic, Ms. Potter. While useful, a lot of things can go wrong during the whole process."

"I'm well aware of the risks, Professor," Aria looked over the terrarium as Ceres slithered over from his place on the Professor's desk, "Luna and I have been researching it since we found mentions of it in some of the books we picked up during our trip. While the risks are great, the benefits are even better and it may just give me the edge I need,"

Professor Flitwick frowned at her, "It sounds like you believe someone is out to get you."

"Just because 'You-know-who' is gone, it doesn't mean my enemies are," Aria picked up Ceres and placed him in the terrarium, "How many of his followers are waiting for someone to slip up?" Aria hesitated before saying, "Professor, this summer, I was attacked and had to kill two people to keep myself alive," Professor Flitwick gasped and stared at her with shock, "If I had an animagus form, I might've been able to either avoid the confrontation entirely or knocked them out long enough to get away,"

"Ms. Potter..." Professor Flitwick's hand covered his mouth.

"Please, Professor," Aria looked at him and felt a little bad for manipulating him, "I need to learn how to become an animagus if only to avoiding doing that again. I still have nightmares of it happening,"

"Why didn't Xenophilius tell anyone? We could have gotten you counseling," Professor Flitwick looked at her sternly.

Aria offered him a sheepish smile, "I didn't tell him. I was scared that he would see me in a diffrent light. He's the first parental figure I've had and I don't want to mess that up."

Professor Flitwick stared at her before sighing, "I do not approve of this, but I will assist you in becoming an animagus. Just know that it will be one of the most difficult things you've done in your young life."

"Thank you, Professor!" Aria beamed at him.

Professor Flitwick only shook his head in reply.

* * *

Everyone gathered in the great hall on Halloween. For the first time in her Hogwarts education, Aria had come to the feast. Everyone that knew her was surprised, but Aria merely said, "When important events occur in the school, all students are required to attend to show solidarity."

Aria slumped into her seat as Ariana asked, "You don't normally come to these things?"

"My parents died today, remember?" Aria filled her plate up with a low sigh, "And I've never like Halloween in general. My relatives made sure I didn't like it,"

Ariana didn't seem to have a reply and dinner passed in silence between them. When the desserts were brought out, Aria actually smiled at the vast amount of chocolates and immediatly began loading her plate. Ariana took one look at the death by chocolate overdose currently sitting on Aria's plate and asked in a dry tone, "Like chocolate?"

"Chocolate is the best," Aria bit into the first treat and let out a soft sound, "If this is how these feasts are every year, I've so been missing out,"

"Still not coming again?" Luna looked at her in amusement along with the other nearby students.

"Nope," Aria shook her head, "I love chocolate, but not enough to come to another Halloween feast,"

Everyone turned to the front as the goblet was brought out and the feast ended. Dumbledore gave a little speech and the lights dimmed down until only the flames of the goblet lit the great hall. First came Fleur Delacour's name, Aria only snorted softly, "Figures."

Next came Viktor Krum of Durmstrang, Aria glanced towards the Slytherin table and saw the frown on Seth's face. He seemed to feel her gaze and offered her a tight smile. Aria turned back to the front as the goblet flared once more and Cedric Diggory was named the champion of Hogwarts. Cheers broke out, Aria shouted alongside her classmates, "Go Cedric! Show them what Hogwarts can do!"

Dumbledore was about to continue his speech when the goblet flared once more. Aria felt her stomach drop as Dumbledore stared at the name before calling out, "Aria Potter. Aria Potter!"

Aria stared at the goblet in horror and shook her head, "No."

"Aria Potter get up here!" Dumbledore called again as everyone turned to look at her.

Aria shook her head, "No!"

Eventually, someone used a spell to force her out off of the bench. Aria shook her head as Dumbledore called out, "Come here."

"I am not going to participate in that fucking death trap of a tournament!" Aria shouted in reply earning gasps of shock either from her language or what she had called the tournament.

"Your name-" Dumbledore began only for Aria to glare at him.

"That was not written by my hand!" Aria growled in reply, "Check the damn magical signature! I sure as hell know it's not mine since none of my homework is done with a quill and ink. I use a fountain pen for everything aside from the most important tests, so check the damn magical signature!"

Whispers broke out and they all looked at Dumbledore. The headmaster's face was a little red as he replied, "I don't thi-"

Aria glared at him before calling out over the whispers, "As Heir of the Ancient and Noble house of Potter, I call upon the magic of Hogwarts to verify the magical signature on that paper with my own. If it is indeed my magical signature, I will go forward and do as requested. If it is not, I will not be required to compete in the competition that I had no intention of even entering," Gasps sounded from the pureblood and wizard raised half-bloods, "Regardless of what occurs, I will be withdrawing from Hogwarts after this school year. I will not stand for being accused of doing something I did not do nor being forced to do anything that I don't want any part of."

She took a deep breath as the hall was lit with bright gold tinted magic that swirled around the head table. They all watched with baited breath as the parchment was ripped from Dumbledore's hand and engulfed in the light. After a few moments, the light shot out and coiled around Professor Moody. Gasps sounded as the Professor seemed to melt down revealing a rather deranged looking man with glassy eyes, the magic faded. Seconds later, the dumbstruck man was stunned by Professor Flitwick as Aria sat down in her seat. Professor Flitwick called out, "Perfects, please take your house mates to your dorms while we take care of this. Foreign students, I ask that you take your fellow students to your quarters. Go!"

Everyone left the hall en-mass leaving only the teachers behind.

* * *

Aria settled in one of the comfortable seats by the fire as her housemates found similar positions around the room. The seventh year perfect, Louis Ivory, turned to Aria, "Potter, how did you do that? With Hogwarts, I mean."

Aria took a deep breath to help settle her heart rate, "I've been looking up books about the castle and came across a mention of the school assisting any charges that needed something. So, I thought that if Hogwarts was sentient, it would probably answer my call for help. I just added the whole house Potter shit to ensure that the pureblood students know that I'm, at the very least, somewhat aware of my heritage."

"That was brilliant," Cho Change commented from her seat.

Aria shrugged lightly, "I just put the knowledge I've gained over the years to use."

"So you never really cared for the tournament?" A mousy first year asked.

Aria snorted softly, "I already have fame, ill-gotten as it is, so why would I need more?"

"Ill-gotten?" Someone muttered.

"My parents died when I didn't," Aria glared at the speaker, "Why should I care about my fame when it cost me my parents?"

Before anyone else could speak, Professor Flitwick strode into the room, "Everyone, I know that we've just had quite the shock, but I feel the need to speak with you for a few moments before sending you off to bed."

"Who was that man?" Cho Change asked.

"A man who was believed to be dead," Gasps sounded, "At the current moment, Mr. Crouch is heading to the DMLE alongside his recently discovered to be alive son. As it stands, school will be placed on hold for a few days so that we can find a replacement for your Defense instructor as the real Alastor Moody is currently in no condition to teach," Professor Flitwick raised a hand to stop questions, "I understand that you have many questions, but they must wait until tomorrow at the earliest. For now, I have one more announcement before you all go to bed," He looked around the room, "It pains me to hear that one of our own is going to be leaving the school. We may not know her reasons, but we must accept that she will not be coming back next year. We will miss you, Aria Potter,"

Aria stood up and nodded to Professor Flitwick, "Thank you, Professor. If I may say a few words?"

"Of course," He waved to her and Aria moved to the center of the room.

"Hello, Ravenclaw," She looked at each of her fellow students, "I know that my announcement was rather shocking, but you have a right to know that it was always going to happen. I never intended to stay at Hogwarts longer than necessary and actually planned on leaving after my fifth year," She could see the shock on their faces, "It isn't because of this house. I love Ravenclaw and will admit that I regret not getting to know you guys. I have a life that I want to live and it won't stop just because I'm in school. So, I will be leaving, but I hope that you all will assist me in this, my final year. I will be writing the Ministry and the goblins tonight to schedule my OWLs for break. When I come back, I will be studying for my NEWTS. I do not have any intention of staying in school any longer than I need to. I hope that you all understand,"

Silence met her words, they all couldn't seem to believe what they had just heard. Finally, Someone spoke, "You're a true Ravenclaw," Everyone turned to the speaker and found it to be a second year with curly brown hair, "Any Ravenclaw worthy of being in this house wouldn't stay at Hogwarts when there is knowledge just waiting for us to grasp," He was flushed at the amount of attention, "What? It's true."

Professor Flitwick cleared his throat as he came to stand beside Aria, "Thank you, Sully. As he said, Aria is displaying the abilities of a true Ravenclaw and I ask that you all work together to assist her."

With that said, Professor Flitwick sent everyone to bed.

 **Okay so Fourth year will be broken up a bit to ensure I get everything. I hope you enjoy this and that it will hold you over until after I finish writing my current chapter of Hunter: The Witch. Love you guys!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **Okay, I just wanted to say that Thursday is coming up fast. This will be the last update until next week unless major inspiration hits. Now, if you don't like this story, don't read. Any insulting reviews or flames will be ignored.**

* * *

Leaving Hogwarts would be pretty easy due to Aria's celebrity status, she could easily book her OWL exams and get information sheets on what was likely to be on all of them. The sixth year members of her house along with the fifth years currently gearing up for the exams were happy to help so long as Aria paid attention to them. The Seventh years had told her that she could study for NEWTs with them once she got her OWL results and only asked that she get the same information sheets. So, Aria and the upper years were exchanging information in a way that benefited all parties. The Professors had been informed of what was going to happen and all save for Snape assisted her. As it currently stood, Aria spent most of her time studying during the week and doing practical things on the weekend.

The teachers put their feet down come the first Hogsmeade weekend and practically tossed Aria out of the castle with the demand to relax. So, Aria was walking around with Luna, Draco, and Ariana. Ariana looked at Aria in amusement as the fourteen year old hybrid grumbled under her breath, "Studying is all well and good, but you'll burn yourself out if you don't take a break every now and again."

"I know," Aria sighed softly, "I just want to make sure everything is in order by the time this year is done,"

Draco chose that moment to point out, "That's Honeydukes."

Aria froze as the words he said sank in and looked at the sweets shop with wide eyes, "The shop that sells that really amazing chocolate, right?" Draco nodded slowly, "I gotta go."

Draco blinked as Aria disappeared and Luna burst out laughing, "And she's gone."

"Chocolate is the way into that girl's heart," Ariana laughed softly next to Luna.

"I've never seen her move that fast," Draco stared at Honeydukes with wide eyes.

"Chocolate is the best motivator outside of her best-friend," Luna replied while grabbing Ariana's hand, "Let's go and get some chocolate before Aria buys out the whole damn store,"

"I doubt she has enough money for that," Ariana replied while allowing the fairy-like blonde to pull her along.

Draco shook himself out of it as Luna replied, "The Potter family owns half of Honeydukes which means she gets a discount. Adding onto that, she has a bottomless bag filled with at least three hundred galleons."

Ariana looked at the store along with Draco as they considered just how much that money would buy. Without another thought, the two headed towards the store in hopes of getting some chocolate.

* * *

Aria pouted at Luna as the blonde drank some butter beer, "You suck."

"You don't need that much chocolate," Luna replied, "And you do need that money for supplies,"

"Still," Aria continued to pout at the seer.

Ariana was still giggling at the fact Luna had managed to charm two of the Bulgarian boys into bodily dragging Aria out of the chocolate shop. Granted, the fourteen year old had already bought two large bags of chocolates by the time they managed it. Somehow, they had barely kept the slip of a girl from escaping them. Ariana blinked as a flash occurred and found a blonde boy standing there. He was around Luna's age and carried one of the mundane camera's she'd seen certain wizarding photographers with. The boy grinned, "Thanks for the warning, Luna."

"Just make sure you get me a copy and we'll be even, Colin," Luna replied while waving the boy off.

Colin nodded and took off through the crowd. Ariana looked at the blonde curiously, "What was that about?"

"Aria's best-friend wants some pictures of Aria, so I've been finding ways to get them," Luna grinned as Aria glared at her, "Uta will think that's adorable,"

"How are you tw-" Aria paused before gasping, "A mail box!"

"Daddy was happy to pay for it if only to ensure Uta can know everything that happens," Luna beamed at Aria as the elder witch stared at the two in surprise.

Aria groaned and banged her head against the table, "So that's why he didn't put up much of a fight this year, I should've known you two would figure out a way to talk."

Luna hummed happily while Ariana asked, "Uta?"

"My best-friend," Aria grabbed the glass of butter beer she hadn't touched yet, "He gets worried about me,"

"I would think s-" Ariana paused before leaning forward with an eager grin, "Best-friend, huh? Is he hot?"

"Uh," Aria looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "Why?"

Luna fished around in her pockets before producing a picture and handing it to Ariana. Ariana looked down and saw a rather adorable sight. A blonde boy around fourteen or fifteen was laying on a couch with a kitten sleeping on his chest. The blonde boy had a sketchpad in one hand and was petting the tiny kitten with the other. Dark blue eyes were looking down at the kitten as a small smile sat on a slightly pale face. To call the boy hot was an injustice especially considering the fact that the picture had probably been taken at least a year ago, Ariana could only say, "Damn."

"Luna?" Aria looked at the seer with a raised eyebrow.

"The picture you gave me back in second year," Luna replied earning a nod.

"Your best-friend is hot," Ariana announced and handed the picture back to Luna, "How can you not have noticed how hot this guy is?"

Aria shrugged lightly, "We grew up together."

"Of course, the whole child hood best-friend bullshit," Ariana sighed deeply, "Damn,"

* * *

Aria left the two girls and a newly returned Draco at their table to head outside. The Three-broomsticks was filled to the brim with people and it was making her over heat a little. She sighed in relief as she leaned against the wall and heard, "Aria? What are you doing out here?"

Aria looked to the side and found Seth walking up. A small blush slipped onto her cheeks as she noticed how handsome he looked, "It was getting a bit hot inside, so I came out here to get a breath of fresh air."

"So you didn't sneak out to go raid Honeydukes?" Seth teased making Aria's cheeks burn.

"Y-you heard that?" Aria squeaked softly.

"It's kinda hard not to hear about it when two seventh year guys from my school known for their strength have trouble keeping a fourteen year old still," Seth looked at her in amusement, "You're stronger than you look, huh?"

"I guess," Aria looked away from him.

Seth let out a chuckle and set his hand on her should, "Hey," She looked at him in surprise, "Being stronger than you look is a good thing," The smile had had was boyish and pretty to look at, "Hey, maybe we can walk around and have that discussion I was talking about before."

"Talk about cultures?" Aria asked earning a nod, "Sure, it'll be nice to get away from those two for awhile,"

"Two? Wasn't there a blonde boy?" Seth asked making Aria still before groaning.

"Fuck, I left Draco alone with those two," Aria glanced at the door before shaking her head, "Eh, he can handle himself,"

Seth grinned and they left the three-broomsticks.

* * *

One of the downsides to being in Hogsmede was that Hermione and Ronald had an easier time finding her. Seth and her had taken a seat in one of the less crowded cafe's. They were both drinking hot chocolate as they discussed the differences between Romania, where Seth came from, and Japan, Tokyo to be specific. Hermione strode up, "Aria! I've been looking for you!"

"Yeah! What're you doing he-" Ronald began only to stop upon seeing Seth, "What are you doing with him?"

Ronald's voice took on a dark tone and he practically hissed that question. Aria glared at them, "Seth and I were just having a nice conversation about the differences between the Asian cultures and the Romanian ones."

Hermione brightened, "Oh? Maybe I coul-"

"No! We have to be going," Aria jumped onto her feet and grabbed Seth's hand, "C'mon,"

Seth allowed Aria to drag him off and looked at her in concern once they'd lost the two, "What was that about?"

"I really don't like those two," Aria gave him an apologetic smile, "They've been annoying me since day one and Ronald has been a rather creepy stalker. Sorry about that, it's a knee jerk reaction to get as far away from them as possible whenever I can,"

Seth gave her a sympathetic smile, "It's fine. My best-friend is the same way when it comes to his fans. They can be really creepy too."

Aria sighed in relief just as a bell chimed in the distance, "Guess it's time to head back."

"Yeah," Seth grinned at her, "I had fun talking with you,"

"I did too," Aria smiled in return, "When I take a break from studying, maybe we can talk again?"

"Sure," Seth replied and they headed back up to the castle.

* * *

Draco was rather irritated with her when he learned of what happened after she'd left the Three broomsticks. Putting it as him just being irritated about being left with two girls, Aria went on with life. After about two weeks of Draco being rather cold, Aria went up to him and demanded, "What the hell is going on, Draco?"

"I don't know, Potter," He said her name like a curse and Aria felt like someone had stabbed her with a needle, "Shouldn't you be with _Furveil_?"

Seth's last name was said with much loathing. Aria looked at him in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Potter," Draco glared at her, "You don't care about my affections and only care about being with Furveil,"

Aria shook her head lightly, "What affections? Draco, you're not making any sense."

Draco's eyes widen before narrowing, "I like you, alright! I have since a little bit late in second year."

"You like me?" Aria remembered all the times Luna had said as much and felt like groaning, "Draco, I'm not looking for romance right now. I might have a crush on Seth, but it won't amount to anything,"

"Huh?" Draco looked at her in confusion.

Aria sighed softly as she sat down across from him, "Draco, I'm attempting to graduate from Hogwarts in my fourth year. As far as I'm concerned, any romance can take a back seat."

"Oh," Draco frowned slightly, "I should've known,"

Aria reached out and grabbed Draco's hand, "Draco, you're an amazing guy and are bound to become even better when you get older. I know this may hurt right now, but you'll get over it."

"So you only see me as a friend?" Draco's voice was soft.

Aria nodded while squeezing his hand lightly, "A really good friend. Draco, love and stuff is for those older than us. We're only fourteen and in our fourth year of Hogwarts. Dating and other bullshit like that can wait awhile."

"I...I need to think," Draco looked at her, "You'll be here when I figure things out?"

"So long as it's during this year," Aria replied and gave him an apologetic smile, "When summer break begins, I will be leaving England and likely never returning. My life lies outside of the UK," Aria squeezed his hand once more and stood up, "If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to studying. Draco, I hope that whatever decision you reach, we can be friends as I've grown to enjoy your insight on things,"

With that, Aria left the library for Professor McGonagall's office where they would be working on her Transfiguration practicals.

* * *

Once more, Aria took a break only this time it was to see the First task. She sat down in the Hogwarts section of the stands closest to the Beauxbatons students which allowed Ariana to sit on one side of her and Luna to sit on the other. Ariana looked at Aria and asked, "Where's the blonde boy, Draco?"

"At the current moment, he has a lot to think about," Aria frowned slightly at the enclosure, "We talked about why he was avoiding me and I learn about his little crush on me. In the end, Draco decided that he needs some time apart to think and I've been a bit too busy with studying for my upcoming OWLs to check in with him,"

"That sucks, Aria," Ariana offered the younger witch an apologetic look, "I'm really sorry that you have to deal with that,"

"It wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't been so blind," Aria ran a hand through her hair, "Draco has apparently liked me since the last bit of second year and I just never noticed. I mean Luna pointed it out, but I ignored her thinking it was just a joke,"

Ariana shook her head lightly, "You're what we consider an oblivious type. You don't notice that someone's attracted to you until it's beaten into your head or they confess. Considering what I've managed to figure out about your upbringing it isn't surprising."

"I should be able to notice now, right?" Aria asked earning a shrug.

Ariana turned her attention to the enclosure, "It'll be a hit and a miss. If you're as observant as it seems, you should be able to. At the very least, you'll be able to acknowledge your feelings if they ever pop up again."

Before further conversation could be had, a roar sounded and the enclosure shimmered before revealing a dragon. Aria stared at the beast with wide eyes before muttering, "Called it."

* * *

Taking a break from studying about two weeks before Christmas break, Aria decided to go out and see the abraxan. Hagrid looked up from the water trough he was filling with mulled wine in surprise, "Aria? What're you doing out here?"

"I'm taking a small break from studying and was wondering if I could sketch these beauties," Aria smiled at Hagrid as she walked over, "If it isn't too much trouble, of course,"

"It should be fine," Hagrid waved her off, "But won't you be cold?"

Aria shook her head, "I have some over charged warming charms not to mention a jacket. I'll be just fine."

"Just give a shout if you need anything, it's been awhile since we've talked," Hagrid offered her a worried look, "You've been very busy,"

"Yeah," Aria shifted awkwardly, "Well, I'm going to find a good spot to sit and draw,"

As soon as she'd gotten as comfortable as possible, Aria was lost to the world of sketches. It wasn't until she heard something snap and the loud neighing of horses that Aria was broken from her trance. Seeing the horses coming towards her, Aria quickly moved out of the way while holding onto her things as tightly as possible. She stared at the path of destruction left by the winged beauties in shock as Hagrid rushed towards her, "Aria? What happened?"

"I don't know," She turned to look at the paddock, "But I have a feeling someone tampered with things,"

Hagrid frowned, "I need to go round of the abraxan. You should get out of here."

"None sense," Aria shook her head lightly, "I'll start getting the paddock repaired. Since you can't really use your magic at the moment and I'm here, I might as well do something,"

Hagrid looked ready to argue, but nodded and headed into the forbidden forest. Moving towards the paddock, Aria looked around after taking out her wand to begin repairing things. Aria was surprised when she smelt the scent of one of the upper year Ravenclaws. Frowning, Aria tried to remember who that scent belonged to as she worked on cleaning up. Once she was finished, Hagrid had returned and settled the rather jumpy abraxans in their paddock. Aria made her excuses and left soon after. As it stood, she'd have to figure out who that scent belonged to and what the hell that student was doing.

* * *

Aria didn't manage to find out who it was until after dinner the following night. Smiling at the older girl, Aria called out, "Louise Glueman? Can you help me with something?"

"Of course," The girl smiled at her though Aria could see the anger in her eyes and smell the hate in her scent, "It won't take long, will it?"

"No just a few moments," Aria shook her head lightly.

"Alright," Louise agreed and followed Aria out of the tower.

Leading the girl to an empty classroom, Aria rounded on her, "What the hell were you thinking?"

"What do you mean?" Louise looked confused.

Aria could smell the alarm in the girl's scent and scoffed, "I know you're the one that startled the abraxans into running towards me. I could've been hurt."

Louise didn't even try to play dumb and drew her wand on Aria, "I don't know how you found out, but it won't matter."

"Tell me why?" Aria demanded with a low growl.

"Why? You're a stupid little genius brat that thinks everyone will bend over backwards for you," Louise hissed out while pointing her wand at Aria, "Just because you're famous doesn-"

"Famous? You think I give two shits about that?!" Aria's eye felt itchy, "I lost my fucking parents that night. If I could give it up in exchange for them, I would! I'm only using my influence to ensure that I can leave this backwater junk heap of a country,"

Louise looked slightly startled before snarling, "It doesn't matter! I'm going to curse you so badly that you won't be able to come back to class. Hopefully, it will teach an arrogant brat like you-"

Aria watched the girl fall forward and looked to see Professor Flitwick standing behind her with a nervous looking fifth year, "Professor?"

"Ms. Potter, I wish you had alerted me that someone made an attempt on your life," Professor Flitwick looked down at the fifth year he'd stunned, "For now, you need to return to the tower. I will deal with you once I've finished with Ms. Glueman,"

* * *

"So," Ariana looked at Aria as the girl was getting ready to head to the Ministry for her exams with Professor Flitwick to watch over her, "Someone made an attempt on your life due to jealousy and Professor Flitwick gave you detention for not telling him?"

"Yup," Aria glanced at Ariana as she finished pulling on the rather official robe she'd been sent by the goblins.

"And due to your Headmaster's blatant disregard for his students safety, she is only getting off with a slap on the wrist?" Ariana let out a sigh, "I seriously do not understand this country,"

Aria shrugged to get the robes to settle correctly, "Considering the fact I grew up in Japan? I agree with you."

Ariana shook her head and grabbed a brush before taking it to Aria's hair, "If you ever come to France once you leave this country, you should come visit me."

"I'll think about it," Aria wasn't used to anyone brushing her hair.

Ariana finished quickly as a knock sounded on the door and Professor Flitwick strode inside, "Are you ready Ms. Potter?"

"Yes, Professor," Aria turned to close her trunk and Professor Flitwick shrunk it.

Professor Flitwick picked up her trunk, "Mr. Lovegood will be meeting us at the Ministry and will take you home once your tests for the day are done."

"Noted," Aria looked at Luna, "You'll be fine with Ceres, right?"

"Of course," Luna beamed at her, "Tell daddy that I can't wait to see him tomorrow and remind him of the time we come back, alright?"

"Will do," Aria saluted her, "See you guys!"

"Bye!" The two called out behind her.

* * *

When Aria was finally finished her OWLs, she could only say, "That was the some of the most difficult tests I've had to do."

"It's supposed to be that way," The kind witch that had been monitoring her during the tests replied, "And just think, your NEWTs will be worse,"

Aria groaned softly, "Sometimes, I wonder if I should have just went through the rest of my school years."

"Do you regret it?" The witch asked while holding open the door for Aria.

"No," Aria smiled at the witch, "Thank you, Ms. Wilson,"

"It's no trouble, Heir Potter," Ms. Wilson replied with a soft smile, "Now get going, you have a celebration to get to, don't you?"

Aria nodded and left quickly.

* * *

After eating a rather filling with the two Lovegoods, Aria headed up to the bedroom she'd been given and laid down on her bed. She laid there for a few moments to bask in how well her tests had gone before grabbing her journal. She smiled upon seeing what Uta had wrote before he probably went to bed last night: ' **I don't think you'll see this before you leave, but on the off chance you do. I wish you luck on your tests, Ria. Hopefully you'll pass them all and be able to come live with us full time.'**

 _'U, I finished my exams,'_ Aria wrote and barely waited a few minutes before Uta replied.

 **'How do you think you did?'**

 _'I think I passed all of them at the very least,'_ Aria smiled lightly, _'They were really difficult and stressful. Just thinking about having to go through it again in a few months is nerve wrecking, I think I'll avoid taking anymore tests once this is over,'_

Uta probably snickered at that before replying, **'I doubt you'll ever have to take another test.'**

 _'Yeah,'_ Aria sighed softly, _'I just can't wait to get home and be with you guys for the whole year. How is planning things going?'_

 **'We've hit a few bumps, but I think we'll be ready by the time summer comes,'** The first part had her a little worried.

 _'Did something happen?'_ Aria hoped not.

Uta was quick to assure her, **'Nothing bad. One of the newer members I picked up was caught snooping around one of the more violent higher ups in the ward. He managed to escape when a Dove attacked. Good thing about the attack means that the higher up ghoul ended up dying so one of our targets is already out of the way.'**

 _'That's a relief, is the guy alright?'_ Aria knew that older and more powerful ghouls tended to be very violent.

 **'He was a bit banged up, but healed fairly quickly. He's a Rinkaku, but not very strong at the moment,'** Uta replied making Aria nod, **'I'm going to work on training these guys. You're training right?'**

 _'When I can find the time,'_ Aria sighed softly, _'I have a feeling about what you're going to say, so don't. You can kick my ass during training when I get back,'_

After that was written, Uta teased her a little before they moved onto what he had planned on. Together, they dissected his plans and built them into better ones with Aria suggesting he have Itori and Lana take a look at them. She did say Renji should as well since the silver haired boy was fairly knowledgeable. Uta said he would think about it before telling her to get some sleep. As it was nearly three in the morning and she was very tired, Aria agreed and went to bed.

 **This year, we won't have Uta and the others making an appearance until Hogwarts lets out for the summer. I know you all miss our favorite tattooed ghoul, but I want to get the magical bullshit out of the way.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **Okay, I just wanted to say that Thursday is coming up fast. This will be the last update until next week unless major inspiration hits. Now, if you don't like this story, don't read. Any insulting reviews or flames will be ignored.**

* * *

They were getting ready to go catch the train back to Hogwarts when Aria's OWL results arrived. Aria quickly opened the letter and let out a soft exhale of relief before handing it to Xenophilius. He read it aloud:

 _Aria Iris Potter has received the following OWLs:_

 _Ancient Runes: O Astronomy: E  
Care of Magical Creatures: E Charms: O  
Herbology: A History of Magic: A  
Potions: E Transfiguration: O  
Defense Against the Dark Arts: E_

Xenophilius looked at Aria and smiled, "You did very well. I'm not surprised about the history grade, but Herbology?"

"Apparently, I'm allergic to some things and barely managed to keep from sneezing the whole practical portion of the exam," Aria rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish smile, "The examiner wouldn't let me use a bubble head charm during the exam, so my grade isn't as good as it could be. During potions, I didn't need it since none of the ones I was being tested on had anything I was allergic to,"

"Still, you passed," Xenophilius' smile was one of pride, "It's a shame the results came so late or I would've done something special,"

Aria shook her head feeling a swell of warmth fill her chest, "No, it's fine. If you want, you can make it up to me this summer. Apparently they give out the NEWT results within three days of the year ending, so we can do something then. I'll have to stay with you guys for at least a week to get everything ready for my departure with the goblins."

"Well, I suppose we will celebrate it then," Xenophilius glanced at the clock, "Come, we should hurry up and head to the station,"

* * *

Aria walked into Hogwarts with a grin despite how tired she was from the long train ride. Walking up the head table, Aria nodded to her Professors and handed Professor Flitwick her OWL results, "Here are the results encase you haven't gotten them."

He nodded to her, "I will give you this back tomorrow. I hope that despite your rather busy vacation you've managed to enjoy yourself."

"Yes, it was a very pleasant Yule despite being in England," Aria had greatly enjoyed how diffrent Yule was from Christmas though she didn't intend to celebrate either unless Itori got involved.

She headed to Ravenclaw and was met by multiple curious glances. Smiling at them, Aria informed her housemates, "I passed all of the exams I took. I look forward to learning the material I need for NEWTS."

With that said, she slipped into her normal seat beside Luna. Ariana grinned at her, "Well, my dear red haired chocoholic, it looks like you've got a lot of studying to do."

"Two years of stuff to learn in a small amount of time," Aria grimaced, "This will be fun,"

Luna patted Aria on the back, "We'll help you out."

Ariana nodded along and they ate dinner.

* * *

Aria was not surprise nor was she pleased when Dumbledore pulled her into his office once more. To be honest, she expected this to happen at least a week after Halloween. Giving the Headmaster a small glare while avoiding eye contact, Aria began to pet the phoenix that decided to use her lap as a perch. Dumbledore cleared his throat, "Ms. Potter, I don't suppose you know why I pulled you into my office?"

"To get me to stay at Hogwarts?" Aria rolled her eyes as he nodded, "I'm actually surprised it took this long,"

"Are you aware of the consequences of leaving Hogwarts before you're at least fifteen?" Dumbledore asked making Aria shrug.

"I will need to stay with my guardian," Aria smiled at the phoenix as it trilled lightly.

"So you're aware," Dumbledore seemed a little surprise by how the phoenix was acting, "Then why would you go forth and take your exams anyway?"

"Because I have no intention of staying in this school any longer than I have to," Aria leaned back against her chair and looked at Dumbledore while carefully avoiding eye contact, "Why do you even care? Is it the duty of the Headmaster to encourage his students to succeed?"

Dumbledore frowned at her, "I am worried that you're rushing yourself. At the very least, you should wait until next year or the year after to take your NEWTs. Surely you're aware of just how far behind you are when it comes to the seventh years."

Aria smirked at him, "Thank you for your concerns, but I will be taking those exams. On the off chance I do not pass, I will be allowed to take them the day after my birthday. Regardless of what happens, I will not be coming back to Hogwarts once this year ends."

Dumbledore sighed in disappointment, "I was hoping you wouldn't say that."

Aria's eyes narrow at him, "Why?"

The phoenix in Aria's lap stiffened as Dumbledore drew his wand, "You leave me no choice, Aria. You must-"

The phoenix let out a screeching trill and Aria found herself engulfed in fire. She felt a bit of fear, but since the fire wasn't hurting her, she kept calm. When the fire faded, Aria found herself sitting on her bed with the phoenix settling on her shoulder. Ceres hissed in surprise, _"Hatchling?"_

 _"The phoenix brought us here when Dumbledore drew his wand,"_ Aria informed the basilisk earning a hiss of displeasure.

Ceres turned his attention to the phoenix and began hissing at it. To Aria's surprise, the phoenix trilled in response and seem to understand Ceres. After about five minutes, Ceres turned towards her, _"Archimedes knew that Dumbledore was planning on spelling you to obey him and stay at Hogwarts. Apparently, the old man is getting tired of you 'shying' away from his control."_

Aria snorted before the name that Ceres said hit her, _"Archimedes? As in the talking owl that was Merlin's familiar?"_

 _"Archimedes is a special phoenix that can take the form of lesser bird species. As for the talking bit, he can't use the ability anymore as it was damaged a long time ago during some accident,"_ Ceres explained earning a small nod though Aria was still a little confused, _"Phoenixes are known as the watchers who take care of the magical world. When it's in danger, they appear and bond with the person that will do the most good. They are omniscient beings created back at the beginning of the world,"_

 _"What is he doing with Dumbledore?"_ Aria asked after the information had somewhat sank in.

Archimedes let out a sad trill and Ceres translated, _"Dumbledore was once a force for change and Archimedes bonded with him to see it occur. As the years went on, Dumbledore changed though it was the war with Grindelwald that broke him and the resulting fame that further shattered him. In someways, phoenixes are just like mortals and are blind when it comes to those they care for. Archimedes saw Merlin in Dumbledore and became blind. He apologies for any hand he had in the pain you were put through."_

Aria looked at the phoenix and smiled lightly, "It's Dumbledore's fault and not yours. You must miss Merlin badly if Dumbledore blinded you. Dumbledore is human and mortal, so it isn't any surprise he broke when too much pressure was put on him. Even the strongest of us will fall if there is even the tiniest chip in their armor."

Archimedes trilled lightly and rubbed his head against her cheek before disappearing. Aria looked at Ceres and he explained, " _Archimedes is returning to Dumbledore and doing something to, at the very least, lessen the man's attempts to harm you."_

 _"If he can do something, I'll be thankful,"_ Aria rubbed at her temples, " _Uta is not going to be happy,"_

 _"No, no he is not,"_ Ceres replied in a dry tone.

Groaning softly, Aria laid back against her bed. Keeping Uta from coming to England was going to be a bitch and a half especially if he managed to get the goblins to assist him, Aria wasn't too sure they wouldn't help him. Knowing them, they happily bring him here if only to see the various witches and wizards shit themselves out of fear. Okay, Aria was somewhat interested in seeing that, but still.

* * *

As it turned out, the goblins weren't going to help Uta come to England. It wasn't because they didn't want to cause trouble for the various magicals in the UK. No, they didn't want to reveal anything until their future envoy was out of England. Aria felt a sense of relief and sent a thank you note to her account manager. The goblins were more than a little pissed at Dumbledore for his attempted attack and started to release information about the goat bastard that he wouldn't want to see the light of day. Archimedes was assisting them leaving Aria more than a little amused. As a result, Dumbledore was so busy trying to salvage his crumbling image that he didn't have time to harass Aria.

* * *

Since Aria had been studying so hard, she hadn't spent as much time on the animagus transformation. She had learned the patronus charm alongside everyone else and finally managed it during one of their dueling lessons. The memory she used was that first Christmas after she met Ceres. More specifically, it was Uta's expression when he'd had his first taste of human food. Aria's patronus turned out to be an over-sized wolf. Due to the fact she'd used it for the first time during a duel, Aria managed to win against the seventh year she was dueling due to shock value.

* * *

During one spring day when Aria decided to take a break from studying, she ended up running into a pair of rather confused and mortified second year students from her house. She sent them to the infirmary as she took in the sound of moans and groans. Due to living in the fourth ward and some of the more interesting places one can live in, Aria was no stranger to hearing people have sex. More than likely, the two had been about to walk on a pair of either sixth or seventh year students going at it. Rolling her eyes, Aria turned away and began heading in the opposite direction of the sounds only to pause as she heard, "Fuck, your so tight."

"Oh, Seth," A feminine voice called out.

Aria felt numb as she resumed walking away.

* * *

Ariana looked down at Aria as the fourth year laid face down on her bed. Settling down beside the dual haired fourth year, Ariana sighed, "So you found Seth and someone else having sex?"

"Two second years did," Aria explained, "I didn't see it,"

"And you're sure it was Seth Furveil?" Ariana asked earning a nod.

"It was his voice," Aria turned her head towards Ariana, "Why do I feel so numb?"

Ariana's heart went out to the confused fourteen year old, "That's how it sometimes feels when your heart gets broken. Since your crush on Seth is minor, I think you won't feel too much."

"Ah," Aria closed her eyes, "I don't like it,"

Ariana set her hand on the fourteen year old's head, "I know. First crushes really fucking suck."

* * *

If Aria spent more time studying and avoided Seth whenever she took a break, Ariana didn't say anything other than ask the fourteen year old how she was doing. As the year was coming to a close, Aria decided to take a small break and come to the third task. As Aria was heading towards the stands, she started to feel sleepy. It wasn't really noticeable at first, but by the time she was halfway there, Aria could barely keep her eyes open as she walked. Aria started to fall forward when a strong arm wrapped around her waist and she heard Seth say, "Sorry, Aria. It's nothing personal."

Aria forced her eyes to open as they began moving away from the stands, "S-seth w-wha-"

Aria's vision faded and she fell asleep.

* * *

When Aria came to, she was tied to something hard. She heard murmuring as light flicked against her eyelids. It was like some kind of mist was swirling around in her mind and making everything seem far away. She took a deep breath and as the scent of something nasty entered her nose, the mist began to clear. The scent was one of the worst things she'd ever smelt. It beat Ronald's morning breath and his unwashed scent. Forcing herself not to gag, Aria kept her eyes closed and listened carefully. She could heard someone muttering under their breath close by, but the words didn't make any sense. Ignoring that for the moment, Aria heard the crackling of flames and the sound of hissing. A crow cried from somewhere nearby as the wind blew through the area. The sound of something slithering through the grass sounded close by as did the sound of a bubbling cauldron far larger and louder than the normal ones she worked with.

Okay, so she'd been captured and there was some type of potion being brewed near her, but where was she. Taking a deep breath, Aria took away the nasty scent and was presented with the scent of graveyard soil. With how common it was for the Japanese to burn their dead, graveyards weren't common, but Aria had been to one a few days after she'd been released from the hospital. Apparently her 'caseworker' thought it would be nice for her to say goodbye to her relatives, Aria remembered the scent if only because it was connected to the last thing she'd ever had to do with her 'relatives'. So she was in a graveyard, it meant she was tied up against a grave marker. But none of the English ones were really big, it meant she was in an older graveyard. Internally frowning, Aria tried to figure out how she'd ended up there.

Aria gasped softly as something hard hit her and opened her eyes. It hadn't really hurt, but being hit was still surprising. She heard cursing and saw Seth holding his hand, "Fuck! Ow! What the hell are you made of? Steel?"

"S-seth?" Aria's memory came back, "What the hell is going on?"

Seth winced as he rubbed at his hand, "I personally have nothing against you, but my mother does. Seeing as I want to make her happy, I helped her out."

"Why bring me here? What does she want with me?" Aria demanded while internally panicking.

Seth sighed deeply, "I brought you here because she needed you to be here. As for what she wants with you, it has to do with her master."

"M-master?" Aria heard hissing and immediatly stiffened, "She works for Voldemort?"

Seth nodded, "Yeah. I need to go assist with getting the potion ready, so do be quiet."

Without waiting for Aria to reply, Seth walked away and she began to panic. Before the panic could cloud her thoughts, Aria closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. Looking around, she frowned at the bubbling cauldron and shifted slightly before glancing down. The ropes holding her were obviously conjured which meant they were stronger than normal. Still, it didn't mean Aria couldn't break them. However, she would need to wait until the last possible moment to get free if only to have them in enough of a shocked state to run. And she needed time to figure out how she was going to get away. Even if she'd been working on her animagus form, she wasn't far enough along to transform. Inwardly groaning, Aria wished she'd figured it out.

* * *

Aria watched in amusement as the knife Seth's bitch of a mother used on her shattered like glass. As Seth and his mother stared at the shattered remains of the knife, Aria broke free of her bindings. She quickly kicked out at both Seth and his mother sending the mother-son duo flying. Knowing she needed to do something about that cauldron, Aria picked up her wand as she activated her kagune and sent her crystals towards it alongside the two out of it magicals. As soon as the cauldron began to crack and leak liquid, Aria took off running. She managed to get halfway out of the graveyard when a loud boom echoed through the air and she turned to see a cloud of magical energy rise into the air. Aria heard a trill and looked to see Archimedes flying towards her. She called out, "Get me out of here, I don't know what that clouds going to do, but I don't think it'll be good."

Archimedes trilled and latched onto her with his claws before flaming them away as the sound of multiple pops echoed through the air. Aria sighed in relief as soon as the flames cleared away to reveal her dorm. Settling down on her bed, Aria sighed in relief as Ceres asked, _"What happened?"_

Aria told him everything before finishing with " _Someone_ _was attempting to revive Tommy,"_ Aria hadn't called Tom Riddle anything else since Ceres revealed Voldemort's actual name, " _I managed to get out of there with Archimedes' help. Seth kidnapped me to help his mother revive Tommy,"_

Ceres let out a hiss of anger before saying, _"I am so-"_

 _"It's fine, I'm over Seth,"_ Aria laid back and stared at the ceiling, " _It just sucks that he ended up betraying me. We had some very nice conversations,"_

Archimedes trilled and settled on Aria's chest. She opened her mouth to ask him what was going on when something dripped into her mouth. It tasted sweet, yet spicy while warming Aria's tongue. On instinct, she swallowed and immediatly felt warmth flow down her throat and settle in her stomach. Soon enough, the warmth coiled through her entire body and Aria could only hum softly. Eventually, the warmth faded until it was barely there, but Aria noticed something interesting. She felt well and truly refreshed. Opening her eyes while wondering when she'd closed them, Aria looked up at Archimedes as Ceres muttered, _"Well, I guess that just happened."_

 _"W-what was that?"_ Aria asked in shock.

 _"A gift from Archimedes,"_ Ceres answered as he slithered onto the bed, " _How do you feel?"_

 _"Better than I've ever felt,"_ Aria watched Archimedes take off and sat off as he settled on one of the chairs in the room, _"What gift did he give me?"_

 _"Phoenix tears have healing powers,"_ Ceres explained, _"But there is more to them. I do not know everything, but I do believe Archimedes' tears have the ability to break bindings. Since I have no doubt Dumbledore put some sort of binding on you, Archimedes probably freed you from them alongside getting rid of any lingering remnants of whatever Seth used on you,"_

Archimedes trilled softly before disappearing in a burst of flames. Aria looked at Ceres before asking, " _So a trip to the goblins might be a good idea?"_

 _"Get an inheritance test,"_ Ceres suggested earning a nod from Aria, " _So finally going to tell Uta about Seth?"_

Aria thought about it before nodding, " _Might as well, I have no intention of covering for that asshole."_

* * *

Uta was less than pleased about the news. He was even more displeased when Aria admitted to not waiting to see if she killed the guy. Uta managed to get Aria to promise that she would never leave Japan again without him. As it stood, Aria was more than happy to give Uta that promise since England sucked. Other than that, Aria had to say goodbye to Ariana two days after the third task. Aria would actually end up missing the French witch as Ariana was a nice friend. After the other schools left, the rest of the year seemed to pass quickly.

* * *

Aria walked into the great hall for dinner feeling a sense of relief after her final NEWT exam. As she sat down to eat, Owls flooded the hall and everyone ended up with a news paper. Feeling curious, Aria checked the headline and choked on her tea as screams filled the air:

 _Voldemort a specter: Department of Mysteries has new test subject_

Aria looked at Luna as the seer said, "Well, that was unexpected."

"So I guess we won't have to deal with him?" Aria asked earning a shrug.

"Only time will tell," Luna replied.

Nodding, Aria put down the newspaper and continued to eat.

* * *

Boarding the carriages, Aria was once again stuck with Ronald and Hermione. Grimacing, Aria turned her attention to the window as Hermione asked, "Aria, what will you do now? I mean you've taken your OWLs and NEWTs."

"I'm leaving England," Aria replied earning two gasps, "I have no reason to stay,"

"W-what about Luna?" Hermione asked as Ronald seemed to gap at her.

Luna spoke up, "Daddy is enrolling me in Mahoutokoro. I want more variety in my education and Daddy wants me to get more in touch with our eastern cousins."

Aria looked at Luna feeling a little surprised, but had figured the little brat would find a way to get to Japan. Internally sighing, Aria was glad that she would be busy with schooling and it would probably take a little while for the Lovegoods to get to Japan. Though Aria hadn't know about them having cousins there, she supposed there was a lot she still didn't know about Luna. Aria was dragged from her thoughts as Ronald burst out, "You can't!"

"Can't?" Aria offered the boy a raised eyebrow, "Why not?"

"Isn't Japan dangerous?" Ronald asked earning a small shrug.

"No where is truly safe," Aria replied while looking at the ginger haired boy with a frown, "Why do you even care? It's not like we're friends,"

"You won't let us be friends," Ronald growled at her.

Aria felt the carriage slow to a stop along and opened the door, "Because you're a pair of annoying stalkers that won't leave me the hell alone. Why would I be friends with you?"

"I..." Hermione began only to trail off.

Aria helped Luna out of the carriage and glared at the two, "Besides, I would never be friends with people that spy on me for Dumbledore," Both of them went wide eyed, "Didn't think I knew? Dumbledore is a fucking manipulative bastard. I will not be controlled by the likes of him."

With that said, Aria slammed the door closed and walked away carrying her trunk. Luna carried her own as Setsuko took flight and headed towards the Lovegood family home. Luna looked at Aria and said, "That was a bit risky."

"I don't care anymore," Aria took a deep breath and let it out, "Let's get on the train,"

Luna nodded lightly.

 **Well that ends Fourth year.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **Okay, I just wanted to say that Thursday is coming up fast. This will be the last update until next week unless major inspiration hits. Now, if you don't like this story, don't read. Any insulting reviews or flames will be ignored.**

* * *

Aria stared at the ceiling as she fiddled with the parchment she'd been given by the goblins back during their last visit. Not only had she gotten the inheritance test done, she got emancipated as well with Xenophilius' full approval. The parchment in her hands was the inheritance test and Aria didn't quite know what to feel about it. She had known that some of the stuff would pop up what with her being a Potter and Dumbledore placing bindings on her. And yet, everything else just really messed with her head. She held the parchment up and stared at the words written on it:

 _Aria Iris Potter  
Mother: Lilian Evangeline Potter nee Evans  
Father: James Charles Potter  
Godfather: Sirius Orion Black  
Godmother: Alice Christa Longbottom nee Abbot_

 _Vaults available:_  
 _Potter Vaults_  
 _Black Vault: Heir_  
 _Marauder Vault_  
 _Lily Evans Vault_  
 _Slytherin Vault (Right by blood and by conquest)  
_ _Peverell Vault_

 _Lordships:  
Potter (By blood)  
Black (By blood, heir only)  
Slytherin (Blood and Conquest)  
Peverell (By Blood and Conquest)_

 _Status:  
Species: Human/Ghoul(Artificial Hybrid) (100% activated)  
Magic: 100% (65% Formally bound by Albus Dumbledore, 15% Formally bound by parents using age evaporating seal)  
Parseltongue: 100% (80% Formally bound by Albus Dumbledore)  
Animagus: 100% (85% formally bound by Albus Dumbledore)  
Elemental: 100% (90% formally bound by Albus Dumbledore)  
Natural Occlumens: 100% (95% formally blocked by Albus Dumbledore)_

 _Contracts:_  
 _Marriage contract to Ronald Weasley: Signed by Albus Dumbledore and Molly Weasley (Illegal and destroyed)_

The parchment went on to list various properties Aria owned around the world. Apparently, she did own a manor house in the 21st ward of Tokyo. Aria would definitely be checking that out at some point if only to give everyone a place to live if they needed it. Letting the parchment fall to her stomach, Aria looked at Ceres as his slithered over to her, "What does the evaporating seal mean?"

Her answer came not from Ceres, but Xenophilius, "It's a seal parents use when their child has too much magic. From what I recall of the times Lily came over to see Pandora, you had too much magic and could have hurt yourself badly."

"Ah," Aria looked at him curiously, "Is something going on?"

"I just came to give this to you," Xenophilius held out a letter, "I've been keeping this since Pandora's death. Apparently your mother had an inkling that something would happen, she wrote this and gave it to my wife. I just found it while I was packing up my room,"

Aria took it from him, "Thank you."

"It's no trouble," Xenophilius gave her a soft smile, "If things had been diffrent, you would've grown up with Luna,"

He turned and began to walk out only for Aria to stop him. She cleared her throat and said, "Xeno...I...you have no idea how much you've done for me," Aria looked away from him as Xenophilius turned towards her, "I know that I've made things difficult for your family, yet you've done everything in your power to ensure I got my way. I know you probably don't want anything from me, but I owe you for everything. So I'm going to give you a favor. If you need anything, I'll do everything in my power to get it."

Aria jerked as she felt a hand settle on her head and turned to see Xenophilius staring down at her. He smiled at her, "You're truly your parent's child, Aria. Remember that," He removed his hand and headed towards the door before pausing, "Dinner will be ready around six. I hope you're hungry for pancakes."

Aria stared at him before smiling and let out a soft laugh, "Always."

Xenophilius left her alone and Aria shook her head lightly as she got up. She had to pack up her things as they would be leaving as soon as she got her NEWT results. Pancakes for dinner sounded alright since that was the only thing Xenophilius could properly cook without accidentally burning it.

* * *

Aria grinned at her test results and showed them to the two Lovegoods. Xenophilius took them and read aloud:

 _Aria Iris Potter has received the following NEWTs:_

 _Ancient Runes: O, Astronomy: E  
Care for Magical Creatures: E, Charms: O  
Herbology: A, Potions: O  
Transfiguration: O, Defense Against the Dark Arts: E_

"Nicely done, Aria," Xenophilius smiled at her, "As soon as we get to Tokyo, I'll take you out to your favorite place to eat,"

"Just so you know, we haven't done much eating out if you don't count the whole ghoul thing," Aria reminded him.

Luna spoke up, "Let's get going, the faster we move, the faster we can get settled. Aria, I can't wait to actually meet Uta."

Aria was just glad that she'd be there to keep the two from doing something too drastic, "Just wait until we're in full control of the fourth ward, alright? I don't want either of you getting eaten."

"I'm not stupid," Luna hugged her, "Be safe,"

"I'll try," Aria patted her head, "See you two when soon. Owl me the location and I'll come over with the others to help you guys unpack,"

"We will," Xenophilius detached Luna and gestured to the waiting form of Rippleclaw, "I don't think you should keep him waiting,"

Nodding, she began heading towards the waiting goblin when something stopped her. Taking a deep breath, Aria surprised both herself and Xenophilius when she gave him a quick hug before taking off, "See you two later!"

Rippleclaw gave her a look of annoyed amusement, "Are you done or is there more to your absurd human goodbye ritual?"

Aria nearly tripped as his words sank in before she caught herself and walked beside him, "I was unaware goblins could joke."

"There is much about us that you do not know, Lady Potter," Rippleclaw replied earning a small eye roll from Aria.

"Please refrain from calling me that unless we're doing business," Aria really didn't like that title.

Rippleclaw merely inclined his head.

* * *

Aria left the Japanese magical district with a key belonging to her sole Tokyo Property. She placed it into her bag and looked around before spotting Renji. Offering the silver haired male a raised eyebrow, Aria walked up to him and asked, "Where are the others?"

"Uta is working on the last of the masks we'll be using when it's time to take down the current ward leader," Renji replied as they headed for the train station, "Itori and those working under her are getting information that we can use. Lana is apparently hunting down a few weaker ghouls with the help of Matsuko and some others,"

"And Uta sent you to come get me?" Aria asked feeling slightly surprised.

Renji shook his head, "I offered as I wished to get to know you better."

"Itori put you up to this, didn't she?" Aria asked as they arrived at the train station and picked their train.

Renji nodded with a low sigh, "Yes though I will admit that I do not know you well."

"Might as well make her happy," They got onto their train after it had emptied and settled down together, "I'm curious about you too,"

Renji looked slightly surprised, "What do you want to know?"

"Which ward did you come from?" Aria asked him.

" I often traveled with my sister, so I do not recall which one I originally came from," Renji replied earning a slight nod from Aria, "Is it strange being both?"

Aria hummed lightly as she leaned back, "It was a bit disconcerting at first, but I've gotten used to it. I can't really say much since I wasn't born this way, but I suppose I'm happy. It would be better to ask someone born like this as they would probably have a better answer," Aria looked at Renji, "Your sister, I suppose she is no longer among the living?"

Renji was silent for awhile before replying, "No."

"Investigators?" Aria asked earning a silent nod, "I assume you've joined up with us in hopes of finding the one that did it?"

"Yes," Renji replied, "What will you do after Uta gets his way?"

"I'll stick beside him as long as he'll have me," Aria smiled lightly as she turned to look out the window and view the scenery they passed, "Once Uta's finished playing his ward leader game, I'll become a tracker and tattoo artist. Once I turn twenty-one, I'll become the goblin envoy,"

"What does Uta plan on doing once he's finished being a ward leader?" Renji asked earning a shrug.

Aria looked at him, "Even I can't tell you what he's planning and I doubt Uta knows either, Uta plans things as he goes along unless it's really important. His plan to become a ward leader is the most detailed he's ever gotten when it comes to his plans," Aria saw the surprise in Renji's eyes, "You're surprised," Renji inclined his head, "You'll find out a lot of things about Uta the longer you stick around us. Though," She ran her fingers along Ceres' scales, "I suppose Uta will be opening a mask shop at some point. He loves making masks after all."

Renji was silent for a few moments before muttering, "I can see that."

Smiling lightly, Aria turned back to the window and leaned against the glass, "If nothing else, you should remember one thing about Uta. In the end of things, he wants to see the world burn."

* * *

Aria entered the apartment and immediatly spotted Uta working on some masks. He was so absorbed in his work that he didn't even notice she was back. Smiling in amusement, Aria headed to their room and put her things away. She noticed that the room was a bit more messy and crowded than she remembered. Aria shrugged and headed back out into the living room. Renji was no where to be seen, but that was usual when the silver haired male was around. Heading over to Uta, Aria looked at the mask he was making and commented, "A black widow mask?"

Uta jolted slightly and turned his head to look at her. Aria immediatly noticed that only faint traces of his 'human' eye color were left. What took her attention were the glasses he was wearing. Uta blinked before smiling softly, "You're finally back."

"For good this time," Aria reached out and took off the glasses, "Why?"

"I wanted to create an image," Uta replied while holding out his hand.

"You look silly with them on," Aria replied as she returned them.

Uta put them back on, "I figured that it would be a good idea to create an image that I use while acting as ward leader."

"So you'll ditch them when you're finished playing?" Aria asked earning a nod, "I guess I can deal with them until then,"

Uta chuckled softly and held out his hand. Aria took it and found herself sitting in his lap. Enjoying the physical contact with her best friend after so long away, Aria shifted into a comfortable position before leaning against him while glancing at the mask. Uta laid his head on her shoulder, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Aria reached out to touch the mask, "So a black widow mask?"

"For Itori though it doesn't exactly suit her," Uta replied as he reached out to continue working on the mask, "These masks will be used until I'm done being ward leader, I'll make her a diffrent one once I've figured out the next game I wish to play,"

Aria hummed softly feeling slightly sleepy, "I think she'll enjoy it even if it isn't a proper fit."

"Take a nap if you're feeling sleepy," Uta suggested while glancing at her, "I'll wake you up in an hour or so,"

"M'kay," Aria didn't bother moving other than to shift into a better position to fall asleep in.

* * *

When Aria woke up, she was on the couch with a blanket covering her. She blinked and looked around in confusion only to freeze at the sight of some guy she didn't know standing way too close. He blinked slowly at her, "Your eyes..."

Aria almost went for her wand when Itori appeared and slammed her hand onto the guy's head, "Moe, don't stare at her. It's creepy," Itori smiled at Aria, "Nice to see you awake."

"How long..." Aria trailed off.

Itori shrugged, "We got here about twenty minutes ago. Uta said to let you sleep."

"Where is he?" Aria asked while sitting up.

Itori dragged the male ghoul away from Aria, "I think he went out hunting or something."

Humming lightly, Aria's stomach growled, "I could use a bite though I thought Lana and Matsuko were doing that."

"I think they were going to see if they could find anymore ghouls to join us," Itori looked Aria over, "You seem paler than before,"

"I spent most of my time inside studying," Aria got up and stretched lightly, "Not to mention, I spent all of fall, winter, and spring in Scotland with a few trips to England. I doubt I'd be very tan,"

Itori only shook her head, "Either way, we'll have to figure out what kind of makeup-"

"How about no?" Aria grimaced at Itori, "I really don't want that crap on my face,"

Itori grinned at her, "Do you think we're going to give you a choice?"

Aria opened her mouth before pausing as she took in the look in Itori's eyes. Closing her mouth, Aria headed towards the bathroom, "I'm going to ignore that."

* * *

Uta had returned with a chocolate cake looking amused as Aria dodged Itori's attempts to grab her. Matsuko and Lana had come back thirty minutes before he had. Matsuko had agreed with Itori that Aria needed makeup and started the whole chase. Lana had only shaken her head and settled on the couch with Kibou. Ceres had vanished after Aria had arrived at the apartment, so she couldn't rely on him. Spotting Uta, Aria ducked behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist while whining, "Make them stop."

Uta looked at Lana for an explanation as he headed into the kitchen. The youngest of the female ghouls said, "They're attempting catch Aria to teach her about makeup."

"Ah," Uta set the cake down on the table and glanced at his best friend as she hid behind him, "Why don't you want to learn?"

"I'm fourteen," Aria looked at him with a puppyish expression, "I don't need to learn just yet. Please stop them,"

"Almost fifteen," Uta pointed out before looking at the two older female ghouls that had been harassing his hybrid, "As amusing as this is, you should obey her wishes,"

Both elder female ghouls groaned in disappointment while Aria let go of him to cheer, Uta smiled slightly in amusement. Aria froze as her nose twitched and immediatly turned her attention to the cake he'd brought in. Aria stared at it for a few moments before looking at him, "Cake?"

"We're throwing a party to welcome you home," Itori explained with a grin.

"Damn it, Itori!" Matsuko glared at the red head, "It was supposed to be a surprise party,"

"How would it be a surprise when she can scent out the cake like a fucking blood hound?" Itori asked with a raised eyebrow making the other older girl pause.

"True," Matsuko looked at Aria, "We have to find a way around your nose,"

Aria merely looked at the cake then back at Uta. Uta smiled at her, "Go ahead and eat a piece, I bought it for you after all."

"Only a piece though," Matsuko added earning a pout from Aria, "Too much sugar will make you sick,"

Aria continued to pout and looked at Uta only to earn a blank look. Sighing, Aria agreed, "Fine."

* * *

The party was just as much of a welcome home party as an introduction to the rest of the gathered group. Everyone save for those that knew her were surprised to meet Aria and commented that they actually thought she'd be older. They also commented about her scent not smelling like a ghouls and there were a few attempts to bite her. The ones that attempted to take a piece out of her were either killed by Uta or knocked out by Aria. Even with that stuff happening, the party was fairly enjoyable and Aria received some awesome welcome home gifts. They ranged from drawing supplies, tattooing equipment, some new clothes, and some electronics. As it stood, Aria found she liked three of her presents more than the rest though she still thanked everyone for them. Her favorites were the phone she'd been gifted by Itori, the headphones Lana had given her, and the quinque tattooing needles Uta had presented her.

After the party had ended, Aria and Uta headed to their apartment. They headed inside with Aria going right to their room to put her things away. She headed into the kitchen where Uta was making coffee and sat down. She spoke after Uta set down her mug and took a seat across from her, "Uta, does our room seem a bit small?"

Uta blinked at her in surprise at the question before thinking about it. Eventually, he nodded, "Yes, it is a bit small. What brought this up?"

"When I got back and put my stuff away earlier, I just noticed that it seemed smaller," Aria ran a hand through her hair.

Uta took a sip of his coffee, "Perhaps we should move," Aria looked at him in surprise and Uta smiled slightly, "There are other apartments in this building that we can use. Besides, I'm fairly sure this is one of those college apartments."

Aria took a sip of her coffee, "Are you sure?"

Uta nodded lightly, "I was planning on mentioning it at some point. While this apartment is one of the best places we've stayed at, it isn't a good place to meet everyone. If we move into a bigger apartment, it would be easier to have meetings."

"We should find a meeting area," Aria suggested after drinking some more of her coffee, "Since you'll be a ward leader and I'll be your second, we'll have to deal with a lot of ghouls that either don't like how we run the ward or want to start trouble. Not to mention, we'll have to deal with ghouls coming into the ward looking for somewhere to feed. With all that in our future, we'll probably rack up a bunch of enemies. While most will be put off once we get full control over the ward, a few will not,"

"So a meeting place where everyone can find us without leading them into our home," Uta murmured while looking into his coffee, "It looks like we have a lot to do in the coming days,"

"It'll be worth it in the end though," Aria smiled lightly as she finished her coffee and stood up to place the cup in the sink.

Uta chuckled lightly, "It definitely will."

 **Okay so you guys have probably been wondering when the whole Tokyo Ghoul Arcs will take place in this story. I've debated it and decided that I will be placing a few chapters that will have time-skips in them. These will rang from a few weeks like in the summer to a few years. I'm really eager to share this stuff with you guys.**

 **After the time skips, I will be putting this story as complete and taking some time to get more familiar with Tokyo Ghoul as a whole. Once I'm ready, I will be putting up the** **sequel.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **Okay, I just wanted to say that Thursday is coming up fast. This will be the last update until next week unless major inspiration hits. Now, if you don't like this story, don't read. Any insulting reviews or flames will be ignored.**

* * *

Aria glanced at Uta as she entered their apartment, "I think I found a viable apartment near the back of this floor. It has a secondary entrance that's about a five minute run from the nearest sewer entrance."

"I'll check it out," Uta replied earning a light nod as Aria moved towards the kitchen to make herself something to eat for lunch, "We'll have to wait until after the take over to move,"

"How many more details do we need to work out?" Aria asked as she made herself a quick sandwich.

"Just a few like when the most ghouls will be at their base of operations, how often the leader is there, and when would be the best time to attack when he is there," Uta looked at her as she walked over with her sandwich and sat down beside him on the couch, "Not much,"

Aria glanced over the plans that Uta managed to get of the building that acted as a meeting hall for the current leader and his group, "Sounds like a few more week to a month before we're ready to go."

"Mhmm," Uta blinked as Aria held up a plate containing pieces of meat.

"You need to eat," Aria told him, "Don't think I didn't notice that you didn't eat anything at the party,"

Uta took the plate and began to eat with a slight smile.

* * *

Aria licked her lips and glanced toward the side where Lana was standing. Aria could hear the group she was in charge of for this murmuring to one another. Lana glanced at her and asked, "What time did Uta say this whole thing would start?"

"Ten," Aria looked at the building that was being used as a meeting hall for the ghouls currently in charge of the ward, "We move in after Uta signals us,"

"And the signal is?" Lana asked as Aria glanced down at her watch.

"You'll know it when you see it," Aria replied and looked back at the building while shifting slightly, "It's ten. Uta's group will be starting," Aria swallowed slightly before glancing at Lana, "Nervous?"

"Just a bit," Lana looked at her, "You?"

"Same," Aria looked over the building once more.

Aria could hear the sound of fighting begin in the lower levels. The decrepit building was one of the worst in the fourth ward and most people avoided it for fear of causing the ancient structure to collapse. It made sense that the current ward leader used this as his base of operations as it would allow for ghouls to run around practically unchecked. Aria spotted movement near the side of the building and turned her head to see a cloaked figure darting off. Aria tracked them until they disappeared around the corner. She'd track them down after everything was said and done. Seeing as the current ward leader was an arrogant asshole, Aria doubted that the cloaked figure had anything to do with the man. Lana seemed to have noticed them as well, "Should someon-"

"I'll go after everything is done," Aria glanced at her before focusing back on the building they were about to enter, "I'm the one that's going to become a tracker after all. I also doubt that they are of any importance," She watched as a window cracked and a headless body flew out of the third floor, "That's the signal, it's time to move!"

With that, they all headed towards the building.

* * *

Aria waited until after Uta was finished telling everyone to spread the news about there being a new ward leader before telling him of her intentions. Uta blinked at her before shrugging, "Go on, but take two of these guys with you. We'll meet up at the apartment. I'll leave what you do to the ghoul that fled up to you."

Aria nodded lightly, "Don't get into too much trouble."

"Stay safe," Uta replied making Aria smile slightly.

Looking around the room, Aria couldn't find either Lana or Itori which meant they were somewhere else in the building. As soon as she spotted Renji and Matsuko, Aria headed towards them.

* * *

Aria found tracking the cloaked figure a little bit difficult, but managed it. The group of three soon found themselves outside of a rather small house. Glancing at the two, Aria waved a hand towards the house. Earning nods, the three split up with Aria heading towards the back of the house, Renji heading towards the front door, and Matsuko heading to the windows on the top floor. Aria easily picked the lock and entered the house as she heard the front door smash open. Rolling her eyes at Renji's lack of stealth, Aria sniffed around carefully as she walked through the kitchen. The scent of the cloaked figure was mingled with a second one. Frowning slightly, Aria entered the hall and found the walls decorated with pictures. Aria's breath froze in her chest as she spotted the three figures inside. The male of the group was easily recognized as the former leader's second in command. The second was a female with dark blue hair and golden brown eyes. The third was a small toddler with messy auburn hair and golden brown eyes. When Aria heard a scream, she immediatly headed upstairs where she found Renji and Matsuko. Matsuko was clutching her hand which was nearly cut off while Renji was pinning the woman from the pictures against the wall. Aria walked up to Renji, "Stop."

"Aria?" Renji looked at her.

"She isn't a threat," Aria informed the silver haired male, "She's protecting her child,"

Renji's eyes widened and he quickly dropped the female ghoul. Turning to Matsuko, Aria said, "Go back to the apartment and get your hand seen to."

Wincing in pain, Matsuko nodded and took off through the window. Renji looked at her, but before Aria could reply, the female ghoul asked, "What do you want with me and Mika?"

"Renji, please wait outside, I can take care of myself," Aria told him.

"Uta won't like it," Renji replied.

"He said I could do as I wished, please go," Aria stared at him until he nodded and walked out before turning back to the female ghoul, "We don't want to hurt you, Miss. I saw you leaving before the attack and wanted to know why,"

"You came after us because of curiosity?" The woman looked at her in disbelief.

Aria inclined her head, "Yes."

"I don't believe you," The woman replied with a frown, "You people killed my husband,"

Aria sighed softly, "I'm really sorry about your husband, but Uta wanted to ensure he had complete control over the ward. I won't say he did the correct thing, but I doubt he knew about your family."

Or at least, Aria hoped he hadn't. Inwardly shaking her head, Aria focused on the woman and watched as her eyes filled with tears, "I told Toro to leave Vesper's service, but he wouldn't hear of it. The damn loyal fool."

Aria felt a little awkward, "I know that it won't make up for your loss, but I am very sorry."

The woman slipped onto her knees, "I don't know what to do now. Without Toro..."

Aria ran a hand through her hair, "You have a daughter, right?" The woman nodded, "You still have her to think about."

Aria turned towards the window and headed towards it without another word. The woman spoke up, "Wait," Aria paused and glanced back at her, "What is your name?"

"Aria," Aria informed the woman.

"My name is Sakura...Thank you for sparing my daughter and I," The woman informed her.

Aria stared at her for a few moments before replying, "We don't kill children nor do we orphan them if we can help it."

Without another word, Aria jumped out of the house and landed not far from Renji. They began their trek to the apartments and Renji commented, "It will be rough on them both."

"In the end, they will become stronger for it," Aria looked up at the sky and linked her hands behind her head, "Sometimes, it takes a tragedy to bring out someones' strength,"

"She might come after Uta for revenge," Renji looked at her.

Aria sighed softly, "If that happens, she will die and that child will be left an orphan. While I doubt that she'll come after Uta with that knowledge in mind, I could be wrong."

Renji grunted in reply and Aria continued to stare at the sky as they walked. This world could be so cruel, she didn't quite know what to think at the moment. She truly did feel sorry for that female ghoul, but knew it couldn't be helped. Death was common in this world for both ghouls and humans. But this was the first time Aria had ever really seen the damage caused by killing others, she closed her eyes. It was somewhat disturbing to feel guilt, but Aria supposed that it was a good thing. If she could feel guilt, it meant she wasn't a monster even if she had to eat others to survive. Even with that in mind, the idea of tearing apart a family left a bad taste in her mouth.

* * *

"You alright?" Uta asked as they settled down together on the roof of their hideout, "You've been quiet since you got back,"

Aria sighed softly as she laid back against the roof and felt the rocky concrete bite into her back through the thin material of her t-shirt, "I just...Seeing the results of killing someone that has a family, it left a bad taste in my mouth," Aria stared up at the sky, "I feel guilty."

Uta looked down at her, "I don't know what to tell you. Our actions have consequences."

"Did you know?" Aria looked at him.

Uta shook his head, "No. Itori and the others didn't give me any information hinting at it."

"Would you have left him alive if you'd known?" Aria asked him.

Uta was silent for a few moments before replying, "Yes, but only if he surrendered."

"I can accept that," Aria relaxed against the roof.

"Still guilty?" Uta asked earning a low sigh, "If you want, we could help keep them alive," Aria looked at him in surprise as that had been a rather unexpected suggestion, "I feel some guilt at the situation as well. It isn't much, but..."

Aria sat up and wrapped her arms around him, "Thank you."

Uta hugged her in return, "Just don't expect me to do this again."

Aria let out a soft laugh as he laid back while pulling her with him. Aria shook her head lightly as she laid it against his chest, "I'm aware that your kindness can only extend so far, U."

* * *

When Aria headed back towards where she'd tracked down Sakura a week later, she found the female ghoul watching her daughter with sad eyes. Sakura glanced at her, "You came back."

"I wanted to see how you were doing," Aria replied while glancing at the toddler, "She's a beautiful child,"

"That she is," Sakura smiled softly for a few moments before losing it, "I still can't believe Toro is going to miss her growing up,"

Waves of guilt crashed through her and Aria inwardly cursed how fucked up fate was. Taking a deep breath, Aria told her, "I talked to Uta and found out that he didn't know about your family. If he had, Uta would've given your husband a chance to surrender."

"Toro wouldn't have surrendered," Sakura looked at her, "He was a loyal fool and Vesper somehow managed to gain his loyalty," Sakura smiled slightly, "Thank you for telling me,"

"You deserved to know," Aria ran a hand through her hair, "Uta has decided that we'll help you two stay alive. If you have trouble hunting or need a place to hide, you just need to come to us," Aria glanced at Mika, "I know it won't make up for what happened, but I hope it might help,"

Sakura was silent for a few moments before saying, "I'll keep it in mind though I will admit that this offer surprises me."

"Like I said, Uta and I don't have a habit of tearing apart families if we can help it," Aria felt her lips twitch into a smile as she watched the toddler chase around a butterfly.

"Why is that?" Sakura asked making Aria glance at her, "Most ghouls in any of the lower wards wouldn't care,"

"Uta and I are orphans," Aria informed her after a few moments of silence, "Uta lost his parents when he was five and I lost mine when I was one. I didn't really know what having a family was like until recently and even then, I still don't understand. I do understand that family is important and needs to be protected," Aria turned and began to walk away, "I'll see you around,"

Aria joined up with Lana and the younger ghoul commented, "I expected this of you, but not Uta."

"It surprised me as well," Aria shoved her hands into the pockets of her blue jeans, "But Uta is always going to surprise everyone around him. He walks to the beat of a diffrent drum than the rest of us. I come close due to how much time we've spent together, but he still surprises me,"

Lana smiled slightly, "Makes you wonder what he'll do next, doesn't it?"

"Mhmm," Aria's stomach rumbled, "Let get going, I want to get something to eat soon,"

"I think I spotted a ramen shop on the way here," Lana offered earning a nod from Aria.

The two headed off and Aria felt some of her guilt ease away. It was still there, but less obvious.

* * *

Aria set down the last box of her things in the new apartment when she noticed her letter box glowing. Heading over to it, Aria opened it and pulled out the letters inside. The usual bank statement was there, a letter from the Ministry, and a few letters from her stalkers. Aria looked at the last letter and grinned as she spotted Luna's rather loopy writing. Opening the letter and putting the others down for later, Aria read it over before going to find Uta. Uta was going through his supplies in the second bedroom in the apartment that they'd decided would be his work room. He looked up as she entered, "Is something wrong?"

Holding out the letter, Aria informed him, "Luna sent a letter. They've finally made it to Japan."

Uta smiled slightly as he took the letter and read it over, "I guess we'll head over to their new home in a few days. I can't wait to meet Luna."

Torn between smiling and blanching at the thought of the two meeting, Aria took the letter, "Well, I'm going to get my stuff set up."

* * *

Aria picked up yet another box and walked into the house that the Lovegood family had moved into. They had ended up moving into the 20th ward which was not only the safest ward, but also the closest to the magical alley in Tokyo. Luna and Uta were talking in the corner which sent shivers up her spine. She headed into the kitchen and commented to Lana, "I have shivers going up my spine when those two talk."

"You too?" Itori set the box of knives she was carrying onto the counter top.

"Shouldn't it be 'shivers going down your spine'?" Renji asked as he set his own box down.

Aria shook her head, "I've come to realize that when two individuals that regularly cause that sensation get together to talk in a corner, it has the opposite effect."

"Like two negatives becoming positive," Lana added earning a confused look from the elder ghouls, "Neither of you went to school?"

"Too dangerous," Renji headed back out of the kitchen.

"My dad didn't want to risk it and my mom wanted me to learn her trade," Itori replied with a slight shrug.

Lana opened her mouth and Aria set her hand on the younger girl's shoulder, "I think you're one of the rare few ghouls that actually go to school."

"Speaking off," Xenophilius said as he walked into the room, "Aria, have you decided if you want to go to high school?"

Aria blinked at him in surprise by the question while Lana looked at her with an eager expression on her face. Aria shrugged lightly, "I don't know. I just got finished dealing with Hogwarts and it's not like I know a lot about the material they cover in mundane schools."

Xenophilius nodded lightly, "I see. If you want to go, I would be happy to help. One of my cousins has his children going to mundane school alongside magical school, so I could probably get one of them to tutor you."

"I'll think about it," Aria said rather than giving him an actual answer.

Xenophilius waved his wand and caused the boxes they'd brought in to unpack. Everything went into the cupboards and drawers, Lana stared at the example of magic with wide eyes before looking at Aria, "Can you do that?"

"No, but I can learn," Aria had been a bit more focused on learning useful things for her tests.

Xenophilius let out a soft sound and withdrew a letter from his robes, "It's for you. Professor Flitwick handed it to me before we left."

Aria took it from him and looked down at the letter as Xenophilius left the room. Lana peered at the letter, "What would he write to you about?"

"I have no clue," Aria turned the letter over in her hands before putting it into her pocket, "I'll read it once we get everything done,"

Shrugging, Lana walked out of the room with Aria to grab some more boxes.

 **Two to three more chapters before this story comes to an end.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **Okay, I just wanted to say that Thursday is coming up fast. This will be the last update until next week unless major inspiration hits. Now, if you don't like this story, don't read. Any insulting reviews or flames will be ignored.**

* * *

It was almost midnight before Aria and Uta returned to their new apartment. Uta headed towards his work room to finish unpacking the last of his things while Aria moved towards the couch. She still had things to unpack, but was a bit more focused on the letter Xenophilius had given her. Opening the heavy parchment, Aria began to read what her former head of house and, perhaps, favorite professor had to tell her:

 _Aria,  
_ _Firstly, I must say that I was not surprised in the least that you chose to leave England completely behind. You rarely socialized with anyone aside from Ms. Lovegood and Mr. Malfoy until this last year. Even then, it wasn't until your second year that you did so. You were not exactly subtle in your decision to leave even before your announcement. It does sadden me that I will no longer see you walk these hallowed halls as your mother once did, but I suppose that if you're anything like your mother, it isn't a surprise. Neither of you enjoyed being under another's thumb, you just went further than your mother had. In the end, I can only say I will miss seeing what you'll get up to next and hope that I'll be able to see you once more though under much better circumstances._

 _With that out of the way, I'll get down to why I wrote this letter. Dumbledore will not give up on controlling you even with Voldemort inside the Ministry. Loath as I am to say this about someone that I respect for the great things he's done in the past, Dumbledore will likely free Voldemort if it becomes clear that you will not return willingly._ _It is inevitable that Voldemort will get free with or without Albus' assistance as he had many powerful allies. I will do my best to keep an eye on things and alert you if anything occurs; however, I doubt it will be much help. As it currently stands, Dumbledore is rather peeved at everyone and has kept us firmly out of his 'inner circle'. I am unsure of how long he'll keep us out of his business, but I hope it won't be long.  
Be careful,_

 _Filius Flitwick  
Ps: Little Hybrids should be more careful while wandering the halls at night._

Aria's heart stopped at the last sentence and she wondered how long he'd known. Taking a deep breath, Aria forced herself to calm down. It wasn't so bad that he knew and if what she'd read about goblins is true, the Professor's mind was protected by natural Occlumency barriers. Even if Dumbledore was a Legilimency user, he wouldn't even be able to get passed Flitwick's mental defenses even if he managed to get past the ones that the half-goblin has surely created over the years. Setting the letter down, Aria tried to figure out how the Professor had found out. While she had spent many nights wandering around the castle when everyone was asleep, she had been careful, so whe-Aria's thoughts stopped as she remembered the mirror incident. She'd been numb and her thoughts scattered, so it wasn't any surprise that she probably hadn't been as careful as she normally would've been. More than likely, the little Professor had spotted Aria walking towards the dorm and saw her kakugan. As she had found out, her kakugan appeared during moments where her emotions were higher than normal.

Aria rubbed at her eye tiredly as she wondered about her Professor. If he knew, why didn't he tell anyone? To most people, ghouls were blood thirsty and driven bastards that would do anything to keep their stomachs full. So why hadn't he said anything? Aria let out a soft groan and jumped as Uta asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Where the hell did you come from?" Aria stared at him in shock as she hadn't even heard him approach.

"The kitchen," He held out a cup of coffee while holding his own up, "Is something wrong?"

Aria took the cup from him and handed over the letter, "Look at this."

Uta read it over as he took a seat before looking at her, "How did he find out?"

"It must've been the mirror incident," Aria took a sip of her coffee, "I was feel numb and my thoughts were all over the place. I probably slipped up near my dorm and he spotted my kakugan,"

Uta took a sip of his own coffee, "Why do you think he kept it quiet?"

"I didn't hurt anyone and he really liked my mother," Aria tugged at one of her longer pieces of hair, "The only way to find out would be to ask him, but I doubt he'd come all the way to Japan just to answer some questions,"

"Then we'll leave it alone," Uta reached out to stop her from tugging at her hair, "Stop that," Aria looked at him in surprise, "You'll end up bald if you don't,"

Rolling her eyes at him, Aria began to drink her coffee only to pause as she noticed that he hadn't let go of her hand. Feeling slightly surprised and a bit lost, Aria said nothing as she continued to drink. Eventually, she finished her coffee and stood up, "I'm going to get some sleep. Don't stay up too much later, we have to get up early and find a good meeting area for everyone."

Uta inclined his head, "I'll be in soon."

Aria started walking towards the kitchen only to stop, "U?" He hummed in response, "You haven't let go of my hand."

He looked down and blinked before releasing her hand, "Sorry."

"S'fine," Aria yawned softly as she headed towards the kitchen to set her cup in the sink, "You're probably really tired. We've been really busy since I got back, so it isn't very surprising,"

With that said, Aria set her cup in the sink before heading to their room to get ready for bed. Soon enough, she laid down in bed and fell into a light sleep. She briefly stirred when Uta got into bed before falling into a deeper sleep the moment he got settled.

* * *

Looking at the tattoo she finished thirty minutes ago, Aria looked at Uta, "Looks like we finally figured out how to tattoo ghouls, we'll need to watch this one for awhile just to make sure it sticks, but I'm fairly sure we managed it."

Uta smiled slightly at that, "Good. Even if it doesn't stick, we're on the right track."

"Mhmm," Aria began to pack up her equipment.

"Why don't we go celebrate?" Uta suggested making Aria pause.

Aria turned to him, "Why would we celebrate when there isn't a real reason to? I can see celebrating once we know if we've figured this out, but not before then."

"So you don't want to go to Anteiku and get some cake?" Uta looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

Aria shook her head lightly, "Of course I want to go, I just don't see a reason to go right now. I was actually planning on meditating and practicing my animagus transformation."

Uta's head tilted lightly, "Alright, we can go some other time."

Aria watched him turn to take care of the ghoul she'd tattooed while wondering what was with him. He'd been acting a little off since she got back and she'd thought it was due to them being so busy. It wasn't really anything annoying and Aria really enjoyed the increase in physical contact. It hadn't been so bad until his talk with Luna two weeks ago. So far, Aria had let it go in hopes of either Uta telling her what was going or him going back to normal. But as time went on, Aria was starting to get worried about him. Inwardly sighing, Aria went back to cleaning up her supplies while deciding to confront him if something didn't happen.

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Aria breathed in the cool air as Xenophilius instructed, "Relax both your minds and bodies, you must be completely relaxed for this next part."

Closing her eyes, Aria slowly began to relax her muscles while tossing all her thoughts away. Eventually, everything faded away until even the sounds of Luna and Xenophilius' heart beats disappeared. As her mind seemed to float inside of a fog, she noticed a rather warm feeling that seemed to surround her. Focusing on it, Aria felt her breath hitch as she felt the warmth running through her like a river of fire that didn't burn. It was wild, yet also controlled like mixture between a raging and completely calm river. It flowed through her entire body while pooling around her heart. When she realized that, Aria figured out that the energy was her magic. The realization startled her into coming out of the peaceful state she'd been in and open her eyes with a soft gasp. Pressing a hand to her chest, Aria looked at Xenophilius, "My magic."

"You reached it far sooner than Luna," Xenophilius smiled down at her, "How did it feel?"

"Like liquid fire that didn't burn," Aria rubbed at her chest feeling strangely calm and warm, "It's wild, yet controlled,"

"A representation of your animagus form," Xenophilius informed her, "With magic, it is generated in our soul and, as we mature, takes on the feeling of our inner animal. Your inner animal is wild, yet controlled. If we go by the usual theory that our patronus are tied to our animagus forms, your form is a wolf,"

Luna opened her eyes with a soft smile on her lips and spoke softly, "Flowing freely like the wind."

Xenophilius waved his wand and a platter appeared with snacks on it. Xenophilius spoke after they had all gotten some tea and a snack, "You both are ready to use the potion that I've made. They will help you find out which animal you are and then we can begin on teaching you both to transform into them."

Aria grinned at that and hugged Luna as the seer leaned into her.

* * *

Eventually, Aria left the Lovegood house with the promise to return soon and a full stomach. She passed by Anteiku and felt eyes on her. It didn't feel like the person watching her had bad intentions, but Aria wasn't going to risk it. With her luck, the person watching her was a dove wondering what someone her age was doing out so late without an adult in sight. Make a turn down an alleyway, Aria started moving at a quick pace. Hearing footsteps following her, Aria's eyes narrowed as she sped up only to hear the footsteps doing the same. The odd thing was that the person was quieter than any human dove or otherwise Aria had encountered which meant her follower was a ghoul or some magical creature. Inwardly groaning, Aria took off running and used some parkour to get onto the roof of a nearby building after spotting some crates in just the right position around the corner.

Aria didn't slow down until she was near the train station. Taking a deep breath, Aria jumped onto the ground in an alley and exited to walk on the main road to the train station. Aria checked the time and nodded to herself before going to lean against one of the pillars to take a breather. As she did so, Aria scented a ghoul entering the station and glanced around the pillar to take a look. It was that old guy from Anteiku. Frowning, Aria wondered what the hell he was doing her only to freeze as he spotted her. Aria grimaced as the old man approached. He stopped just across from her, "I see that you've managed to survive since your first visit."

"Where you the one following me?" Aria asked with narrowed eyes.

The old man inclined his head, "I did not mean to alarm you, but you are a rather hard person to find."

Grimacing, Aria glanced towards the time, "What do you want with me?"

"You are unlike any other ghoul I met," He explained making Aria snort, "I was hoping you might speak with me about a few things. More specifically, why you can eat human food,"

Aria heard a train pulling up and looked to see that it was hers. Pushing off of the pillar, Aria said, "As interesting as that sounds, I have a train to catch and I do not appreciate old men chasing after me."

Aria entered the train and went to take a seat. She glared at the old man as he sat down across from her, "Little one, I have no intention of harming you or anyone else. I only wish to talk."

Aria snorted and turned to look out of the window, "Excuse me if I can't believe anything old people say."

The old man sighed softly, "My name is Yoshimura and I own Anteiku. I only wish to help young ghouls like yourself and your companion."

"We're doing well for ourselves," Aria retorted as she turned to glare at him.

"Rumors have been going around that the fourth ward has been taken over by a new, younger ghoul," Yoshimura leaned back against his seat, "Believe me when I say that it worries me two young ghouls are going to be in the crossfire,"

Aria couldn't stop herself from laughing at him, "You actually think Uta and I are in danger? You haven't even considered what our position even is. You're a foolish old man if you haven't even considered if we're the ones in charge."

Smirking at the look of surprise on his face, Aria returned her attention to the window. Evidently, Aria had surprised him enough to pass most of the train ride in silence. Finally, Yoshimura spoke as they were getting close to her stop, "It is amazing what you young ones can actually do. I suppose my concern was unfounded."

Aria looked at him, "What do you really want from us?"

"To give you both a better life," Yoshimura replied earning a raised eyebrow from Aria, "Does it not bother you every time you kill a human? Or are forced to cannibalize?"

Surprised by the question, Aria actually thought about it. They hadn't needed to kill any humans since Aria had gotten their meat box from the goblins. Aria would admit killing other ghouls did bother her a little if only the ones that didn't attack them first. Aria looked at him, "Uta and I do not require any help. We haven't killed humans in awhile save for the occasional dove. We are not forced to cannibalize though we still do in order to be strong enough to keep control of the ward."

"May I ask how you've been surviving if you haven't killed anyone save for fellow ghouls?" Yoshimura asked her.

The train began to slow and Aria stood up, "Perhaps another time, I would suggest staying out of the fourth ward until we've gained complete control and settled everything."

With that Aria headed to the doors and left Yoshimura staring at her, she did have to wonder why he was so interested. While most ghouls that learned about her ability to eat human food found it interesting, they tended to lose interest after discovering it was due to her being magical. They were a bit more interested in the magical aspect of everything. Aria wondered what would happen if he learned about her magic or her hybrid status. Either way, Aria would need to tell Uta about what happened. He would probably be more than a little amused by her less than polite words towards Yoshimura, but sue her, she disliked old men.

* * *

Uta leaned back against his place on the couch and commented, "You could have handled that better."

"I know," Aria took a sip of her coffee, "Just him chasing after me was irritating,"

Uta nodded slightly before commenting, "His offer does interest me," Aria looked at him in surprise, "I'm not saying we take his offer, but I wonder how he get's food without killing others."

Aria hummed lightly, "Perhaps he scavenges? With how things are, it isn't surprising if someone commits suicide."

"I suppose we can find out at a later point once we finish taking complete control over the ward," Uta looked at her in curiosity, "So how did your lesson go?"

"We're moving onto the potion portion and after that, we'll be able to work on the actual transformation once we figure out what our animal forms are," Aria yawned softly feeling tired, "I think I'm going to get some sleep. Try not to stay up too late,"

 **Okay one more chapter which will be a time skip. After that, this story will be complete and I will begin working on the sequel after a small break.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Harry Potter.**

 **Well, this is it. I hope you enjoy and please give me a review at the end. I love you guys.**

* * *

Aria looked over the area and nodded as she glanced at Uta, "This will definitely work once we clean it up a bit, we'll have to get some couches and tables too."

"So you like it?" A nervous looking teenager with dishwater brown hair and light green eyes asked.

"It will be a good place for meetings," Aria smiled at the ghoul, "Good job,"

He beamed at her, "Thank you, Miss Aria."

"Just Aria is fine," Aria turned to where Lana was talking with Itori and Matsuko, "You guys want to decorate it?"

All three grinned at her in reply with Itori exclaiming, "Hell yes!"

Aria rolled her eyes as she turned back to the ghoul, "Please assist those three with getting the supplies they need," Aria paused before turning back to the three, "No pink colors or anything neon. We want this place to be welcoming to the various ghouls of the ward."

Aria noticed Lana nodding while Itori pouted at her and Matsuko frowned. The teenage ghoul hurried over to the three as Aria walked over to where Uta was leaning against the wall. She smiled lightly at him as he commented, "You didn't answer his question."

"I don't need to like this place," Aria stopped in front of him, "I just need to tolerate it until you're finished playing at being a ward leader,"

"Fair enough," Uta pushed off the wall, "Let's go check on the ghoul you tattooed,"

"Where'd you stuff him, anyway?" Aria asked him curiously as they left the group behind and headed off.

"Renji and a few others are watching him," Uta replied as they walked.

* * *

Checking on the tattoo, Aria grinned brightly, "It's been there for a month. Even if it goes away at some point after this, we finally have a viable option."

Uta smiled slightly, "So ready to start designing our first tattoos?"

Aria scoffed at him, "Do you really think I haven't done them by now? I've been working on them since the idea popped into my head."

Chuckling as he killed the ghoul, Uta replied, "Show me them when we get home."

"No problem," Aria was surprised when Uta handed her an eyeball, "Uta?"

Uta shrugged lightly, "I felt like sharing."

Biting into the eye before Uta could change his mind, Aria chewed it slowly while savoring the sweet taste. While it wasn't as good as a human eyeball, it still tasted sweet. Swallowing the treat, Aria grabbed a finger and said, "You do realize that I'm going to have to teach you how to tattoo as well, right?"

Uta finished his own eyeball before replying, "I know since I'm the only one you trust to tattoo you just like you're the only one I trust to do mine."

Smiling, Aria worked on eating the finger she'd taken.

* * *

Taking complete control over the fourth ward was a bit difficult, they were fought by ever elder ghoul save for a few that were either far too weak or had been left alive from the attack on the former ward leader. It took almost a full six months to gain complete control and even then, they still had a bit of trouble. Most nights during those six months were spent without sleep, Aria dreaded being that exhausted again. Uta was heavily enjoying himself as he pissed off every ghoul that went against them not to mention the various idiots that decided to attempt to take over the ward just because the current leader was young. While the constant fighting was a bit annoying on the days where Aria barely had any sleep, she would admit that it was amazing to see the results of the training she'd put herself through as well as the various acts of cannibalism she'd committed. To see how strong Aria was now to how strong she had been as a human, it was no contest and Aria greatly enjoyed knowing that even if her relatives magically came back alive they couldn't do shit to her.

On top of the ward business, Aria had to deal with Dumbledore's attempts to get control of her. First, he had tried to kidnap her only to end up on the wrong end of a kagune and barely managing to escape. After that, he sent his lackeys after her only most found themselves either being eaten by ghouls or captured by the Japanese Ministry when the idiots tried something in public. Aria had gotten fed up and managed to get a Japanese citizenship. It had been a long process even with the help of her fame and the goblin. In fact, it had been the goblins that kept the Japanese Ministry of magic from realizing just what she was. Aria had been tempted to ask, but didn't after seeing the look of unholy glee on the goblins' faces. Even if their relationship with the Japanese magicals was better than in England, they still loved fucking with magicals.

As it stood, Aria was just glad that her Japanese Citizenship made it almost impossible for Dumbledore to even send his lackeys to kidnap her. Dumbledore would have to go through so much red tape not to mention have the English Ministry's help and that of the ICW to even have a chance to bring her back. Aria relished in the safety net she'd managed to create and could only give the goblins more respect. Of course, she was never going to fuck them over if she had a say in it since they were rather terrifying.

* * *

It wasn't until a year had passed that Aria was reminded that Dumbledore and his lackeys weren't her only enemies. Aria had gone to Anteiku with Luna after finally managing to do a full animagus transformation. Xenophilius had work to do, so he allowed the two girls to go alone. They had been discussing Luna's mundane school life when the door to the cafe opened and Aria smelt a scent she would rather have never encountered again. Stiffening, Aria glanced towards the door and spotted Sirius Black entering the cafe with Remus Lupin following him. Luna pulled Aria's attention to her, "Aria, calm down. Take a deep breath and remember we aren't in the fourth ward."

Aria took a deep breath to calm herself as she tracked the two taking a seat not far from them. Aria focused on Luna as the two got their orders taken before looking around the cafe. Aria smiled at Luna, "So you're doing well in Middle school?"

"Mhmm," Luna hummed lightly, "It was difficult at first, but I really do find it better than the one in Scotland," Aria took a sip of her coffee, "Have you been thinking about Daddy's offer? Things have calmed down, so it shouldn't be much of a problem,"

Aria set down her cup with a low sigh, "While the idea is attractive, I like having the free time I do."

"So that's a no to High School?" Luna asked her with a raised eyebrow and knowing eyes.

Aria finished off her cake, "No high school for me. It doesn't mean I won't be learning the things a normal high school student will. On the advice of my bankers, I've been getting the proper material to catch up to my peers. Once I do that, I'll be working on getting up to college level though it'll be awhile away."

"I don't blame you," Luna drank some of her tea, "School gets boring at times. I'm almost tempted to skip a few grades, but I don't really want to leave the friends I've made behind,"

"Whatever you decide, I'll help you as much as I can," Aria felt her phone vibrate and fished it from her pocket to read over the text that had been sent, "Looks like I gotta go, Matsuko and Itori are dragging me on yet another shopping trip,"

"Go and have fun," Luna smiled at her, "I'll be just fine,"

"If you're sure," Aria finished off her coffee and set money on the table to pay for the both of them, "See you soon,"

"See you," Luna stood up to hug Aria while whispering, "They'll be following you. Stick to the crowds and don't act like you know until you're in your ward,"

"I will," Aria hugged her lightly before letting go, "See you later, sis,"

* * *

Sirius and Remus ended up following Aria all day though they managed to hide better than most of the idiots that Dumbledore sent. Aria was actually somewhat impressed with their skills even if the three ghouls had noticed them almost immediately. Itori was more than a little amused by the wizards actions while Matsuko was irritated. At the very least, the two adult males kept out of the clothing stores the three went to though it was clear that Black intended on following only to be pulled back by Lupin. At the end of the day, the three girls went back to the fourth ward where Uta and a few others were waiting.

Uta held Aria's hand as they separated from everyone and began walking through the alleyways. Uta leaned down to whisper, "I have a few watchers on us. Once we get to the place I picked out, we'll wait there while one of the girls grabs your bags."

"Why won't they just leave me alone?" Aria sighed softly, "I'm getting tired of this,"

"I know," Uta wrapped his arm around her shoulders while taking a half the bags Aria had gotten, "If you want, we can kill them,"

Heavily tempted by the idea, Aria considered it as they walked towards where Uta had an ambush set up. When they reached it, the bags were handed off and they began to wait for the canine duo to reach them. Aria leaned into Uta's side feeling tired, "Can we just take a few days to sleep in and relax after we're done here?"

"If you want," Uta glanced down at her, "So want to kill them?"

"If they piss us both off, yes," Aria ran a hand through her hair, "If not, we should just toss them to the Ministry or the goblins. Either will work,"

Uta chuckled softly as he tightened his grip on her. It wasn't long until they heard and smelt the approaching duo. After what felt like forever, Sirius and Remus walked around the corner before freezing as they caught sight of the two. Aria looked at them with a bored expression, "What the hell are you two doing here? I thought that I made it clear during our last interactions that I didn't want anything to do with you."

Sirius didn't seem to hear her as he focused on Uta. More specifically, he focused on the arm wrapped around Aria's shoulder. Remus swallowed as he took in Uta's eyes, "P-padfoot-"

"Get your arm off my fucking goddaughter before I tear it off," Sirius growled at Uta making Aria's eyes narrow.

"If she wanted me to let go of her, I would follow her wishes," Uta's voice and face betrayed none of the amusement Aria knew he was feeling at the threat, "Ria, these are the two you told me about, correct?"

"Sirius Black and Remus Lupin," Aria glared at the duo while focusing most of her attention on the pale werewolf feeling more than a little pleased, "Black is the idiot attempting to threaten you while Lupin is the werewolf that is about to piss his pants,"

Sirius gaped at her, "Pup-"

Aria ignored him while focusing on Lupin, "I can see that you haven't even tried what I suggested, Lupin."

Sirius drew his wand and pointed it at them, "Stop that, Pup, you will come over here and stop this nonsense," He pointed his wand directly at Uta, "You will let go of my goddaughter before I use this."

Uta let out a low laugh, "You weren't joking about his stupidity."

"You really doubted me?" Aria looked at him, "Can we please stop this farce? I'm tired and want to take a nap before the meeting,"

Uta inclined his head and raised his hand. Immediately, the ghouls that had been waiting on the rooftops jumped down and surrounded the two wizards. Sirius and Remus jumped while the werewolf seemed to pale even more leaving Aria to wonder if he was about to faint. Finally, Sirius seemed to realize the danger he was in as the various ghouls looked at him with kakugan eyes. Sirius looked past them at Aria and asked, "You would allow us to be killed?"

"I don't like you and to be frank, killing you would probably solve a bunch of problems," Aria smirked at him, "However, they aren't going to kill you just yet. Seeing as while I'm pissed off at you, you haven't pissed of Uta. If you had, you'd be dead already,"

"Albus was right, you have gone dark if you're consorting with ghouls," Sirius shook his head sadly.

Aria's eyebrow twitched at that, "And this is the entire reason I will never care about you. You obey that manipulative old goat. I refuse to allow anyone that follows him near me."

Sirius went to speak only to be stopped by Lupin, "Shut up, Sirius. Don't you realize how much danger we're in?" Lupin rounded on him and growled out, "If you say anything else, you'll get us both killed."

"You have a smart pet wolf," Uta commented in a light tone, "Better listen to him,"

Sirius glared at him, "I'm going to rip you to shreds for even thinking about touching my goddaughter."

Whispers broke out from the gathered ghouls as they looked between Uta and Sirius, Aria could only shake her head. Uta looked down at her, "Is he really that pathetic?"

"You've heard him talk, what do you think?" Aria held out a hand behind her and felt a smooth stone being placed on her palm, "Lets just knock them out and send them off, I'm tired of dealing with these two,"

Immediately, the ghouls closest to the two wizards knocked them out though it was with more force than necessary. Aria didn't bother scolding them and only took out her wand to tie the two up in the most embarrassing position possible before dropping the portkey-stone on to them.. Immediately, the stone glowed before whisking the two wizards off to the ministry. The ghouls holding her bags returned them and everyone went on their way.

* * *

Aria laid down on the couch and groaned, "I will be so happy when they finally give up on me."

"I don't know," Uta peered down at her as he perched himself on the cluttered coffee table, "It is kind of fun,"

"For you," Aria laid her arm over her eyes, "I just want to have some peace and quiet without some sort of magical shit occurring,"

Uta was silent for a few moments and Aria began to give into her tiredness. She jolted as a hand touched her cheek and moved her arm to peer at Uta. He looked down at her with a frown on his face. Aria opened her mouth to say something when Uta spoke, "Is it really that tiring?"

Aria was surprised by his question, but quickly shook it off, "Yes. I just want a break from it."

"Then we'll find a way," Uta smiled lightly, "We'll figure something out and spend a few days away,"

"But the war-" Aria began for Uta to cover her mouth with his hand.

"Everyone can take care of themselves for a few days," Uta removed his hand, "Think of it as me testing them to see how things will be when I get bored of being the ward leader," Uta stood up and headed towards the door, "Stay home tonight, you need the rest,"

"Are you sure?" Aria asked while looking at him in surprise.

Uta offered her that warm smile of his that always told her everything was going to be alright, "Yes. Take some time to rest and recharge, I can take care of everything."

"Alright," Aria smiled at Uta, "Just keep things from getting too troublesome, I really don't want to have a lot of work tomorrow,"

Uta nodded to her before leaving their apartment. Looking around, Aria let out a soft yawn and decided to follow his advice. Laying back down, Aria closed her eyes and fell asleep soon after.

* * *

True to his word, Uta took Aria away from the fourth ward for a few days in order to finally check out the house her family owned in the 21st ward. It was an absolutely beautiful place that could definitely house their group and a good portion of others without any trouble. The library was completely fantastic and Aria was tempted to lock herself in the large room until she'd gone through everything. Uta ended up dragging her out to explore the grounds which was home to a beautiful garden that took up a lot of the backyard and a good portion of the front. Aria immediately fell in love with the koi pond filled with a mixture of magical fish and normal ones. The house elves taking care of the house were leery of Uta due to his nature, but none of them were hostile which was good. As it stood, Aria enjoyed the four days they spent looking over the house with Uta agreeing to her plan of coming to live here after Uta grew bored of being a ward leader.

* * *

Aria felt shaky as she settled beside Uta as he took off his shirt. Uta tossed it away as Aria got the design ready, "You're absolutely sure this is the one you wish to start with?"

"Yes," Uta looked at her in concern, "Are you alright?"

"I've tattooed other ghouls, but tattooing you just makes me nervous," Aria admitted with a sheepish smile, "Sorry,"

"It'll be fine," He reached out to take one of her hands and squeezed it, "You'll do fine and if it doesn't turn out well, we can always tear off the skin to start anew,"

Aria shook her head lightly, "I think you're the only ghoul willing to do that, U."

"Feel better?" Uta asked with a smirk.

Aria rolled her eyes, but had to admit he managed to get her to stop feeling nervous. Rather than say that, Aria retorted, "Are you ready to get stabbed over and over?"

Uta just settled down and Aria got started on his right arm. At first, Aria still felt a little nervous, but it fell away the longer she worked. Everything seemed to fade away until all she knew was the tattoo she was working on. The various parts and layers of it seemed to fit together in her mind allowing her to focus on inking rather than constantly turning her attention to the design sitting in her lap. Finally, Aria finished shading in the last bit and moved away. Uta looked down at the design and nodded to himself, "It looks like how I pictured it. You've gotten a lot better since the last time I saw you tattoo."

"Some of the ghouls working under us offered to let me work on them," Aria looked at the design feeling pleased with herself, "How do you feel?"

"I feel fine," Uta flexed his arm carefully, "It stopped hurting after a while,"

"Good," Aria began to pack away their equipment, "I'm glad that ghouls have such a high healing factor,"

"So when do you think I'll be ready to do yours?" Uta asked making Aria pause.

She thought about it carefully as she resumed her work. Uta was very good at designing tattoos, but it didn't transfer as readily to his tattooing skills. When she finished, Aria turned to him, "You still need a lot of practice. I say about two or three more months if you work hard at it; however, that's just a guesstimate."

"Noted," Uta began looking around for his shirt.

Aria spotted it and grabbed it prompting Uta to hold his hand out to her. Aria kept the shirt out of his grip, "U, even if the tattoo is healed, you need to air it out for at least an hour to two. It'll ensure the design doesn't fade."

"Alright," Uta inclined his head, "I assume that you'll be showing me to where you tattoo the others?"

"Of course," Aria tossed his shirt over to laundry basket he had set up in his work room, "I should probably offer to give Lana and the others a tattoo,"

"You haven't?" Uta looked at her in surprise.

Aria headed towards the door, "I was a bit more focused on getting good at tattooing and fine tuning your design," Aria opened the door, "Do you want coffee? I'm going to make myself a small snack."

"Please," Uta followed after her, "I'm going to be working on a few masks,"

"I'll bring it to you when I'm done," Aria headed towards the kitchen while Uta stopped at the door.

Aria glanced towards the door as she heard it shut which was a bit unusual since Uta tended to keep it open. Figuring the mask he was going to be working on was a surprise, Aria shrugged it off and started up the coffee maker before moving to make herself a sandwich.

* * *

Glancing around carefully, Aria carefully headed towards the meeting place. For some reason, the doves had been increasing their attention on the lower wards. While the first through third were currently in chaos due to their leaders dying, Aria couldn't figure out why the fourth was getting so much attention. Aria entered the meeting place and headed to the main room they used. It was a large basement area filled with comfortable furniture and was decorated rather warmly. Lana and the others had done a very good job. Aria entered and headed over to where Uta was sitting on the biggest couch. The various ghouls around the room either nodded to her or smiled before returning to their conversations. Seeing as they normally called out greetings, Aria knew that they were affected by the doves presence. Frowning, Aria reached Uta and settled down beside him, "Everyone's worried about the doves increase in the ward."

"Agreed," Uta looked at her, "I assume you were checking on them?"

Aria nodded, "Sakura is getting scared and Mika seems to understand something bad is going on. I caught sight of a few doves on my way here, but none of them were paying attention to me." Aria ran a hand through her hair, "I told her that if it gets too bad, we would move her somewhere safer," Aria looked over the gathered ghouls with a frown, "Why are there so many doves here?"

"We'll see what Itori says when she gets back," Uta wrapped his arm around her shoulder and hugged her, "Everything will be fine,"

Aria relaxed into him as Matsuko entered with Itori. The two female ghouls made their way over fairly quickly and settled down across from them. Matsuko looked over Aria, "You made it here fine?"

Aria nodded while noticing Matsuko's usually immaculate clothing dirty, "I assume you ran into some trouble."

Matsuko glanced down at herself and groaned, "Fuck and this was one of my favorites too."

"Itori," Uta spoke up after allowing the red haired ghoul to catch her breath, "What did you find out?"

"They're cleansing the lowest three wards and keeping an eye on the fourth just encase there is a jump in activity," Itori informed them, "Other than that, I think they're attempting to figure out if the Owl is hiding within the lower wards,"

Aria snorted softly, "The Owl? They can't seriously believe he's hiding here."

"They're getting desperate," Uta muttered softly.

Aria looked at him, "Desperate?"

"A year without sightings since their Owl Extermination mission," Uta looked at her, "Since the Owl got away, I'm fairly sure they're attempting to either find him or find out if he died,"

Thinking about it, Aria had to admit it sounded likely, "I guess they also believe it was the Owl that caused one through three to go crazy."

With that said, all three girls gave him a pointed look and he shrugged, "They were annoying and I was hungry."

Letting out a soft giggle at that statement, Aria shook her head, "Still, we need to figure something out."

* * *

A hiss of pain left her as Aria dropped back to avoid the dove's attack and gripped her arm carefully as pain jolted through it. She glared at the man as he smirked at her, "Awe is the little ghoul angry?"

Beneath her mask, Aria snarled softly while attempting to find a way out of this. While she could deal with two to three investigators at a time, Aria had found her limit at four with six almost wiping her out. Even with her magic available, Aria was simply overwhelmed and it didn't help that she was injured. The pain running through her side was far worse than the one going through her arm and Aria was getting tired. Aria used her kagune to get some more distance between them only to find her leg falling out from underneath her. Glancing down, Aria noticed the cut and turned to glare at the investigator as he twirled the sword in his hand, "Bastard."

"Too bad your friends scattered, I would have loved to see them try to help you," The dove grinned and Aria felt sickened by the perverse joy in his eyes, "I love fighting female ghouls. It's so much fun especially once you get them weak,"

"Perverted bastard," Aria forced herself up, "Who the hell are you?"

"You can call me Koji," He chuckled as he raised his sword quinque, "Though it won't matter if you know my name or not by the time I'm done with you, you'll be dead,"

Aria moved to dodge the hit coming for her only to for the wound on her leg to act up. Falling to the ground, Aria watched as the sword came closer and closer until time seemed to stop. Suddenly, the sword went flying and Aria heard feet touch down. Uta was bending down beside her with his 'No-Face' mask, "Can you walk?"

"My leg won't support my weight for long," Aria saw his mask tilt to look at her right leg.

"Raven," Uta called out Renji's name, "Take her somewhere safe, I'll be along as soon as I'm done here,"

"U," Aria murmured feeling something twist in her gut.

Uta raised his mask enough to look at her and smiled, "Everything will be alright. Be good for Raven."

Swallowing, Aria nodded as Renji carefully picked her up, "Don't get hurt."

"I won't even let him come close," Uta covered his face once more, "Go,"

Renji said nothing as he took off and Aria had to refrain from crying out as he jostled the wound on her side. Renji only eased up once they were safely on a rooftop and looked down at her, "Aria?"

"My left side," Aria closed her eyes, "It hurts a lot worse than my other injuries,"

"Noted," Renji carefully adjusted his grip and continued moving.

Soon enough, they arrived at Aria and Uta's apartment complex. Renji entered the apartment as Lana opened the door and Itori gasped, "What the fuck happened?"

"Six doves," Aria answered as Renji moved towards the couch where Matsuko had things set up, "I can handle up to four at a time, but six is a bit too much. Three of them were using Koukaku quinque. I managed to take out all of them save for one,"

"Set her down here and get the fuck out," Matsuko ordered earning a slight nod from Renji as he carefully set her down, "When Uta gets here, you tell him he has to wait until I've given the word before he is allowed in here,"

Renji snorted, but inclined his head before looking down at Aria, "Get well soon."

"Will do," Aria took off her mask and grinned at him as Matsuko took it from her.

Renji left without another word and Matsuko quickly divested Aria of her clothing save for her underwear. Aria looked at Matsuko as the brown eyed ghoul began examining Aria's side wound which was the worst one. Matsuko glanced at her, "What?"

"Why don't you want Uta to come in?" Aria asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Because it's inappropriate for him to see you naked," Matsuko glanced at Aria's underwear before adding, "Or nearly naked,"

"Why?" Aria didn't really understand, "Uta's seen me naked before," Aria heard Itori and Lana both choking as Matsuko froze, "Is something wrong?"

Matsuko shook her head lightly and went back to tending to Aria's wounds, "Not even going to attempt to answer that one."

Aria looked towards Itori and Lana in confusion. Lana shook her head rapidly while Itori looked at Aria with a slightly red face. Aria frowned at the blushing red head, "What's wrong?"

Itori cleared her throat, "W-well, when did Uta see you naked?"

"He's walked in on me when I was changing a few times not to mention we always changed in the room back when we were growing up," Aria looked at her in confusion, "Why does it matter? Uta's my best-friend, so that makes it okay, right?"

"Sweet heart, you are oblivious to social norms," Matsuko sighed softly, "No wonder he wouldn't even give me the time of day,"

Aria looked at Matsuko with a frown, "Huh?"

Matsuko used carefully smeared one of the potions Aria had stocked up on Aria's side after stopping the bleeding. After a few moments, Matsuko informed her, "It isn't socially acceptable for Uta to see you naked unless he's your boyfriend or husband. It was fine when you were kids, but now that you're older, it isn't fine."

"So what? Ghouls aren't considered socially acceptable," Aria reminded them before hissing as Matsuko pressed a bit too hard on her side.

Matsuko shook her head, "Tell me, what do you feel when you look at Uta?"

Aria's confusion increased, "Why?"

"Just tell me," Matsuko focused on Aria's side.

Aria looked at the other two only to get a shrug before deciding to answer Matsuko's question, "Warm, I always feel warm when I'm around him. He makes me feel safe especially when he tells me that everything will be alright. I can't stay mad at him for long since he just makes me happy being around him."

Itori jumped in with a knowing look on her face, "What do you feel when he smiles at you?"

"Happy," Aria looked at her with a raised eyebrow feeling confused, "Especially when he's really happy,"

Lana jumped in as well, "What do you really think about him?"

"He's an trouble-making idiot that makes my life kind of hard, but it's okay since that's how he is," Aria sat up as Matsuko began dressing the wound on her side, "He always makes me so mad when he does something stupid just because he's bored, but I always forgive him when I see his eyes bright with happiness. He's adorable when he takes naps with Kibou and when he's concentrating on whatever mask he decided to work on," Aria carefully stretched before laying down as Matsuko finished with her side and moved onto her arm, "He can be arrogant sometimes because of how strong he is, but he's always a lot more careful when I tell him that I'm worried. He's mean when he decides to tease me and always eats the eyes before I can take one unless he feels like sharing," Aria smiled lightly, "He worries me a lot sometimes with some the shit he does, but no matter what he always comes back. I love how strong he is because that means he won't be killed easily and leave me hanging," Aria took a deep breath, "He's so considerate sometimes since he always makes sure I get sleep. If I get too tired and fall asleep, he stops what he's doing to either lay me down on the couch with a blanket or carry me back to our room to sleep," Aria flushed as she noticed the looks on their faces, "What?"

"Wow," Itori murmured softly.

"Itori, not a word," Matsuko looked at Aria with a light smile, "Aria what is he to you?"

"My best-friend," Aria answered without any hesitation.

Matsuko shook her head and whispered something that Aria couldn't catch before saying, "Let me get a look at your leg and we'll get out of your hair."

"You're not going to tell me what all that was about?" Aria's confusion only increased as Matsuko just smiled at her.

Matsuko murmured, "You'll figure it out in time, Aria."

With that said, Lana and Itori disappeared while Matsuko went to work. Aria looked at her arm and saw that Matsuko had finished taking care of it while Aria was thinking about Uta. Itori appeared not too long later with new clothes for Aria. Aria carefully put on the button up shirt Itori had grabbed for her as Matsuko finished with her leg. Aria carefully slipped into the loose sleep pants with wolves on them that Itori had given her on Aria's birthday that year. Matsuko packed up the first aid supplies and put them away before leaving with the other two following after her. Uta slipped into the apartment a few moments after they left and made his way over to her, "How do you feel?"

"Matsuko took care of me," Aria looked up at him, "The pain's already fading,"

"Good," Uta ran a hand through his hair and took off those dumb glasses, "I'm really sorry you got hurt,"

"It was bound to happen with so many fucking doves in the ward," Aria looked him over, "You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"No," Uta shook his head as he took a seat and pulled her feet into his lap, "Why did you look so confused when I walked in?"

"Matsuko and the others asked a bunch of questions," Aria informed him, "And they didn't even tell me why,"

"That was mean of them," Uta shook his head lightly, "What did they ask and what started it?"

"They asked what I really thought about you and what I felt around you," Aria looked at him in confusion as he stiffened slightly, "As for what started it, I asked Matsuko why she said you weren't allowed in here while she was tending to my injuries. She said it wasn't socially acceptable for you to see me naked and I told her you'd already seen me naked," Aria still didn't understand why it mattered, "I still can't understand why it isn't okay since we live together,"

Uta let out a soft chuckle, "Don't worry about it, it doesn't really matter."

"Alright," Aria yawned softly feeling a little tired and more than a little hungry.

"So what did you tell them? What were you answers to their questions?" Uta clarified and Aria told him exactly what she'd said.

Aria's stomach growled when she finished and Aria asked, "U, could you get me something to eat and drink? Earlier really got me hungry."

Uta blinked at her looking slightly startled, but shook it off. He nodded to her with a smile, "Sure. Anything in particular you're craving?"

"Meat and tea," Aria replied while wondering why he was so startled.

"Be right back," Uta moved her legs off of his lap and went to get what she wanted.

Deciding it didn't matter and that the girls really probably just being weird, Aria smiled and began to pet Kibou as the cat jumped onto the couch. Kibou meowed at her and Aria rubbed between his ears earning a purr.

* * *

With the attack on Aria, the doves seemed to increase their attention on the ward making it even more dangerous. To protect Sakura and Mika, they were moved into the same apartment buildings as Uta and Aria. The same thing occurred with Lana as the ghoul's current residence seemed to be watched. As the year went on, the attack on ghoul and dove alike increased until it felt like a dove was standing on every corner. Finally, Uta called a meeting and they decided to meet the doves head on.

Everyone got to work and soon enough, they had a trap set up for the doves. Aria went to the CCG headquarters with Itori, Lana, and Matsuko to get the doves interested in the area they would be setting up for the attack. It was then that Aria and the others were given a shock when they discovered that she could walk through those ghoul detector gates without setting them off. It was something that would be very useful in the future. Uta had disappeared into his work room to create extra masks for those that needed them. Renji had disappeared, but Aria figured he was doing something constructive.

* * *

By the time a full year had passed since the increased attention, they were ready to fight the doves in a place of their choosing. On the eve of the attack, Aria was filled with nervousness and took to pacing. Uta ended up pulling her aside and demanding what was wrong. Aria looked at him, "I'm nervous, Uta. I know we've dealt with Doves before, but this..."

"I know," Uta removed his mask as Aria did the same, "It scares you, but it needs to be done,"

Aria sighed softly, "Uta, I'm getting tired of fighting with the Doves constantly. Hell, I'm getting tired of the fourth ward. I love our apartment, but..."

"Then it's a good thing I'm getting bored," Uta said making Aria look at him in surprise, "Sometime soon, we'll leave this ward, but for now, you need to bare with it,"

Uta pulled her into a hug and Aria leaned against him while taking in his comforting scent. Soon enough, Aria felt relaxed enough to rejoin the others and began to pull away only for Uta to prevent her. Aria looked up at him, "Uta? Is something wrong?"

"Be careful," Uta stared down at her, "If it get's too rough, you need to run away,"

"But-" Aria began to protest only for him to shush her.

"I've heard rumors that some strong investigator is coming," Uta looked oddly serious which scared Aria, "He apparently took part in the Owl suppression mission. I think they call him the Reaper of CCG. I don't want you going near him,"

Aria nodded seeing that he was really bothered, "I'll get out of here if it gets too dangerous."

"Good," Uta tightened his grip on her and Aria returned his hug feeling him lay his head on hers.

They stayed like that for a few moments before pulling away. Aria was about to put her mask back on when Uta spun her around. Aria opened her mouth to ask what was wrong when something warm pressed against her mouth for a few seconds before disappearing. Aria's eyes widen as she realized that Uta had kissed her and she looked at him in shock while mumbling, "W-why?"

"I'll tell you after we finish things," Uta smiled at her as she covered her lips with a hand, "Be careful,"

"Y-you too," Aria watched him disappear back into the area where most of the group was waiting.

Lana appeared moments later and lifted her mask up to look at Aria, "You alright?"

"Hm?" Aria looked at her, "Y-yeah,"

"You sure?" Lana walked over to her and poked Aria's cheek, "You're looking a bit flushed,"

"I'm fine," Aria shook her head lightly while dropping her hand, "Just a bit nervous,"

"Is that why Uta took you aside?" Lana asked as Aria put her mask back on.

Aria was thankful for her mask as it covered the blush that was currently decorating her face, "Yeah. Lana, you need to be careful. If it gets too bad, you need to leave. I'll be doing the same."

"No problem," Lana put her mask back on, "Let's go,"

Aria followed after her while wondering why the hell Uta had kissed her.

* * *

The trap had been sprung and the doves found themselves met with heavy opposition. Soon enough, the air was tainted with the sweetish bitter scent of blood from both sides. Aria killed yet another dove while grimacing as she took in the chaos around her. Doves were falling left and right as foolishly arrogant ghouls did the same. Aria didn't know how many she'd killed, but the clothes she was wearing would be unsalvageable. Aria ducked as a dove wielding an Ukaku quinque sent out a scattered burst. The dove quickly found her end when a Koukaku ghoul began to pay attention to her. Aria nodded to the masked ghoul before moving somewhere less chaotic to take a small breather. Lana slipped over soon after, "You alright?"

"Yeah," Aria looked her over and noticed a few rapidly healing tears, "You okay?"

"I'll be fine," Lana leaned against one of the few unbloodied pillars, "This is getting..."

Aria nodded, "Hopefully the doves will withdraw soon."

"Agreed," Lana looked at her as Aria took a deep breath.

Aria was about to say something when she heard a scream of, "ARIMA!"

Jolting, Aria looked around and spotted Renji rushing through the crowds of fighters. Aria caught someone muttering 'Reaper' and realized what was going on. Renji had told her about his sister and who had killed her awhile back. The dove he was rushing towards, Arima, was the same one that killed his sister and held the moniker of Reaper. Aria watched along with everyone else as Renji began to fight against Arima though it became quite clear that the dove outclassed Renji. As the fight went on, Renji began to lose strength and it wasn't long until Arima got ready to deliver the final blow. About to move forward with the full intention of using her magic to stop the dove, Aria watched with wide eyes as Renji was flung away and an familiar old man appeared while blocking Arima's attack. Yoshimura spoke to the ghouls, "Run. Now."

No one moved as they continued to stare at the old man. Uta spoke up from somewhere in the room, "GO!"

With that order, the ghouls began to flee. Aria lingered long enough to see Yoshimura picking up Renji and to drop the smoke bombs Luna had suggested she take.

* * *

Aria looked over Renji's wounds carefully, "These will heal in a few days so long as you eat, you'll be in pain until they do."

"Thanks," Renji grunted as Aria began to patch him up.

Uta entered the room with Yoshimura, "How is he?"

"He'll heal so long as he eats and doesn't strain himself," Aria informed him before glancing at Yoshimura, "What were you doing there?"

Yoshimura looked at her, "I had heard that there was going to be a raid on the fourth ward and wished to see if I could help prevent some of the destruction," Yoshimura turned to Renji, "You were angry at him, why?"

"He killed my sister," Renji looked at the old ghoul with curiosity, "How are you so strong?"

"If you wish, I could teach you," Yoshimura offered in a light tone, "If you'll come work for me, I will teach you to become as strong as I am,"

Aria shook her head lightly, "At the very least, you should wait a few days before making your decision."

Renji nodded to her and Aria finished tending to his wounds before standing up. She looked over Uta before nodding to herself and putting away their medical supplies. Yoshimura spoke as she did so, "Perhaps you could answer a few of my questions."

"Maybe later when I've had some rest," Aria closed their medical kit and stood up, "I'm going to take a shower and get some sleep,"

With that, Aria left the three males alone.

* * *

Aria didn't get the chance to speak with Uta about the kiss until a week had passed since the trap. They had learned that over a third of the ghouls that had been in the attack died with the rest injured in someway though a lucky few didn't get hurt. They had been lucky that the doves were focusing on the lower three wards or things would have been far worse for them. Aria still didn't know what to think about the kiss and really needed to know why Uta had done that. At the current moment, Aria was sitting on the roof of their apartment building with her sketchpad in hand though she didn't draw anything on it. Uta walked onto the roof and said, "Renji left with Yoshimura."

"I figured he would," Aria sighed softly, "I hope he finds whatever he's looking for,"

Uta walked over to her and sat down, "You're angry with me."

Aria shook her head, "Just severely confused," Aria finally turned to look at him, "Why did you kiss me?"

Uta was silent for a few moments as his eyes peered at her, "I do not know."

"You kissed me and don't know why you did?" Aria couldn't believe that.

Uta shrugged lightly, "I guess it was a heat of the moment kind of thing."

Aria was tempted to call bullshit, but decided that she didn't really want to push it. For some reason, she knew that going down that road would be awkward. So, Aria decided, "Okay."

"Okay?" Uta looked a little surprised.

"If you say it was the heat of the moment, I'll believe you," Aria smiled lightly, "Besides, we have bigger things to focus on,"

"Oh?" Uta looked at her curiously while relief filled his eyes.

Aria nodded with a light grin, "We need to figure out when you'll tell everyone that you're giving up your position as ward leader, find someone to take over, and get everything ready for when we leave this place."

Uta smiled slightly, "Very true."

"We can figure out everything else once we get that out of the way," Aria looked down at her sketchbook.

It would also give Aria time to figure out what was going on with herself too.

 **And this is the final chapter of the Ghoul and the Witch. Remember, I will be posting a sequel at some point. I'm thinking either next month or the month after, but it will be sometime this year. For the moment, I will be putting quite a bit of attention on my other stories and might put up some one-shots if my urge to write Tokyo Ghoul stuff hits me hard enough. My muse for Tokyo Ghoul is a rather violent bastard sometimes.**


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